


A Second Chance

by Prussianpianos



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Asgard, Attempted Murder, Children, Dom/sub may switch, Eventual Smut, Fighting, Fluff, Gay, I feel like this is kinda slowburn, Intersex Loki, Loki - Freeform, Loki x grandmaster (mentioned), M/M, Post Ragnarok, Ratings and tags n shit may change, Thor - Freeform, Thorki - Freeform, Thunderfrost - Freeform, heimdall - Freeform, mcu - Freeform, soft, sorry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-06
Updated: 2018-11-30
Packaged: 2019-03-01 08:57:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 58,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13291470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prussianpianos/pseuds/Prussianpianos
Summary: Despite Thor being happy to let Loki join Asgard once again, the people aren't so keen on that decision, and would prefer the trickster fucks off to Sakaar with his sugar daddy. Loki finds himself struggling to regain the trust of the people, and is faced with multiple obstacles along the way.Enjoy this shitty lil thorki fic that takes place after Thor: Ragnarok.





	1. Chapter One

Their ship was just the tiniest bit too small for Asgard, and so the hallways were always bustling with activity, people lingering around doorways and in the dining hall, along with the walls of a larger room that had been turned into a training arena.

Despite the tight quarters and the abundance of people, Loki felt rather lonely. It didn't help that he was basically cut off from the people.

"Hello, Loki!" Thor sounded far too cheerful, as per usual, and the paler prince couldn't help but sneer at that as Thor entered he room, leaning in the doorway.

"In a merry mood today, Brother? What a shame." Loki was laid in bed, on top of the plush blankets and luxurious duvet, as it was far too early to sleep, and he was still reluctant to let himself do so. He was vulnerable, still healing after such a fight- and, he was sharing a room with the king of Asgard.  Yippee.

It had been a full 24 hours since they had boarded their ship and watched their home burn as they sped off to safety, and Loki had not let himself sleep just yet. Not that he'd be able to.

"Shame? Why would it be a shame, Brother? I am hopeful for the future, and confident we will find a wonderful place to rebuild and make ourselves a beautiful new kingdom." Thor's smile was genuine, that Loki knew. However, he was sure that smile was not because of sudden hope. It was because of something else, another reason, he was sure of that.

Loki, who had been scribbling down notes into an empty journal before his brother's entrance, set down the leather-bound book and the mechanical pen he'd found, placing them delicately on to the metal side table. "Have you come to lecture me, Brother, or have you come to free me of my chains?"

Thor raised an eyebrow at that, stepping farther into the room, closing he door behind himself to maintain some sort of privacy. "Chains?"

With a flick of his wrist, Loki's pant leg was tugged up to reveal a metal band that fit snugly around his rather thin ankle. "Hardly an upgrade from the one you put in my neck. This must be older sakaarian technology. Regardless... the Valkyrie had me put it on. I can't leave the room, or it shocks me- at least that's what I'm deducing. I'd rather not try it for myself."

Thor took a few steps forward, hands on his hips. He almost gave a chuckle. "I wish I could trust you."

"Now, what would be the fun in that?" Loki found himself smirking, arms crossed as he leaned up against the headboard.

Thor simply shook his head, wandering over to the window. Much like a child, he placed both hands on the glass and leaned forward until his forehead touched the cool surface as well, peering out into the cosmos.

"I have a job for you, Loki... but only if you're interested."

The Prankster found himself leaning forward at that, arching a dark eyebrow. "What sort of job? I assume one where not much trust is involved."

"That's where you're wrong, Brother. I'm putting a lot of trust in you for this. We need to show the people that you're trustworthy... that you're safe. Because currently, the popular vote on what to do with you is to put you into an escape pod and shoot you off the ship."

A chill was sent down Loki's spine, and he shivered at the idea. "Banishment?"

"Banishment."

Thor turned on his heels, and meandered his way over to the bed, flopping down beside his brother. "As king of Asgard, I've decided to give you a second chance. Which means you must cooperate."

Loki stayed silent, listening in and trying to decide for himself wether it would be worth it or not.

"After such an attack, and with the amount of losses we had, many children have been left without parents." Thor started, turning his head to face his brother, a stern look to him. "You will volunteer to look after them. This is your last chance to prove yourself, Loki."

All was quiet. You could cut the tension with a knife. Loki's heart thumped against his ribcage, and he found himself faced with a decision he was afraid to make.

Stay with the people that never seemed to give a damn about if he lived or died, or go to a place he fit, a place where he felt supported and somewhat cared for.

And the trickster felt like an idiot, saying what he did, but he knew it was the right decision. Of course it was.

"I'll work with the older children... help them mature. I'll teach them the skills they require, and... the proper difference between an act of righteousness and an act of villainy."

His words were forced, although he did his best to hide it. Asgard, no matter how much it sometimes felt otherwise, was home.

Thor seemed satisfied with that answer. He sat upright then, clapping his little brother on the back, a grin gracing his rugged looks. "Good. Now, of course, you will be monitored at all times, and you will have one of those electric thingies in your neck," Thor chuckled, his laughter deep and yet fairly soft, "But I have faith that neither of those will be necessary. You've got to understand that any step out of line and you're out of here. You're still a mass murderer, Loki, despite your apparent and yet, perhaps temporary, change of heart."

"When do we start?" Loki's words were soft, and although he was obviously hesitant, he was willing to go along with this idea of Thor's. "And... why children? Do you really think that would be the best fit for me?"

The last sentence had almost a sarcastic spin. Really, Thor's idea wasn't exactly logical. Attempt to win the trust of the people back by babysitting for a few days? Did the thunderer not realize that Loki was homicidal and unpredictable?

The firm hand on Loki's back slid around to his shoulder, a friendly gesture that would usually cause Loki to recoil. But, the gentle buzz of electricity in Thor's touch was warm and comforting, and Loki found himself leaning into the larger man before long.

"We'll see, Loki... But you must promise me. No more tricks. At least not until the people have learnt to trust you a bit more."

"Oh, Brother." Loki's words rolled off his silver tongue as smooth as silk. "You know that I can never keep a promise such as that."


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor is surprised with how easily Loki is able to fit in with the children.

"Do you like to read, Mr. Loki?"

"I adore reading. It's one of my favourite pastimes. Will you show me your favourite book? Perhaps we have similar tastes in literature."  
Loki's tone was gentle, and there wasn't even a trace of sarcasm in his words. He was being as genuine as possible, as gentle as he could be with this child, who, if he was human, would be no older than nine years of age. Loki had sat himself down in a corner, the colourful room far too bright for his tastes, talking and playing with the older children the best he could. There was one little girl who cried at the sight of him, but other than that, all of the children seemed to flock in his direction.

Loki, for the first time in a long while, was rather confused. Why would these children _willingly_ go near him? _Willingly_ attempt to play and make conversation with him?

It took him over half of his first day in the little orphanage to realize that it was because children are far more forgiving than adults. These children knew what he had done, yet also knew that he was doing his best to make up for it. Loki had done some bad things, yes, but he wasn't a bad man. These kids could feel that.

"This is my favourite book," Albin dropped the storybook in Loki's lap before flopping down beside him, leaning against the wall as he showed the man his favourite story. It was a simple little thing, and it looked like one from Midgard- with big, bright pictures and only a few sentences on each page.

"This seems interesting enough... the only problem is, I have no idea how to read this!" A clear lie, although Albin seemed to buy into it.

"Really?"

"Really."

"Truthfully?"

"Truthfully. So I suppose you'll just have to read it for me, hmmm? Perhaps I may be able to help decipher some of the words for you. What language is this in, elvish?" Loki raised an eyebrow, handing Albin the thin and colourful book.

The boy giggled, deep brown eyes so dark they were almost similar to the night sky sparkling joyfully. "It's in English!"

"That's a tricky language. I only know how to read Norse." Loki found a warmth in him tugging up the corners of his mouth, a smile sliding on to his face, a genuine one. "What's the title?"

"The what?"

"What's the book called, Albin?"

"Oh, it's called 'The Sneetches'. It is a very fantas-ma-riffic book!" Albin's grin was wide and genuine, and he scooted closer to Loki as he opened up the book, the inside just as colourful as the outside.

Loki found himself rather surprised by the hotchpotch of a word, and then even more surprised when Albin reached over and took the man's hand in his own. Albin's hand was far smaller than Loki's, almost half the size, and the boy's rich and beautiful coffee coloured skin was a startling difference compared to Loki's pale, porcelain hand.

"Fantas-ma-riffic indeed." Loki whispered, a genuine smile on his lips.

Thor found himself feeling rather... shaken, astonished at how quickly Loki had gone from the homicidal maniac Thor had thought the trickster had become, to a gentle man, Thor's Brother, who liked to read and learn, and play with the rabbits in the palace gardens. Watching through the glass of the make-shift orphanage, Thor found himself placing both hands on the glass and leaning up to it, watching with obvious interest as this man, no... this boy he'd grown up with, listened to a small child reading a story.

"The star-bellied Sneetches had bellies with stars," Albin had read aloud, his finger following each word as he went along. "But the plain-bellied Sneetches had none upon thars." Albin took a moment to take in the bright pictures on each page before he carefully turned it, the big yellow birds known as Sneetches with or without green stars on their bellies appearing on every page.

Loki found himself quite interested.

"No stars on their bellies... no stars upon thars. Now... those stars were... weren't so big," Albin took his time with words he found challenging, and Loki watched him rather intently, ready to help if he needed. "They were really quite small. You would think such a thing would- wouldn't matter at all."

The trickster squeezed his hand gently and rather reassuringly, watching the little boy do his very best to read his favourite book.

"But b-be- because they had stars, all the star-bellied Sneetches would b...brag... can you read the part when they talk for me, please and thank you?" Albin looked up with those big beautiful eyes and Loki found himself agreeing. He wasn't sure if it was pure cuteness or seidr or some higher power, but this kid had him wrapped around his little finger.

"'We're the best Sneetches on the beaches'.”

"Thank you." Albin whispered, before continuing with the narrative. "With their... s-snoot-s in the air, they would s...s..."

"Sniff," Loki offered, and Albin nodded,

"They would sniff and they'd s...snort," the boy giggled at that. "Snort."

"Yes, it is a rather amusing word, isn't it? Snort."

Albin's laughter only became even more uncontrollable. Soon enough, though, he managed to get back to reading. "They'd sniff and they'd snort. They'd have nothing to do with the plain-bellied... sort."

"And why do you think that is, Albin?" Loki asked, his words gentle and quiet. The boy's answer was quick.

"Because they're different."

"Is that a bad thing?" Loki whispered those few words. Albin shook his head in response.

"Being different is good."

"I agree." Loki's grin was genuine and insuppressible.

"Can I read more now?" Albin looked up at the man and squeezed his big hand.

"Of course, Albin. Go on. I'm listening."

The story was rather fascinating. Usually, children's books were dull and brainless- however, this book, by some Midgardian author by the name of Seuss, was truly Fantas-ma-riffic. The story, called simply "The Sneetches", was about those yellow birds, and how some had stars on their bellies and some did not. Sneetches with stars shun and discriminate against those who do not, until a man by the name of Sylvester McMonkey McBean, who called himself the, "fix-it-up chappie", appears and offers the Sneetches a star-on machine that will give the plain-bellied Sneetches stars, for three dollars.

The treatment is insanely popular, however, leaves the originally star-bellied Sneetches feeling upset, as their special status is now in danger. McBean introduces a new machine, the Star-Off machine, which will take off their stars to maintain their special status, costing ten dollars.

Soon enough, the Sneetches are running from machine to machine, until every Sneetche is left without money to pay for another round through.

The Sneetches are left not knowing who had been what, wether this one was that one, or that one was this one, or which one was who.

This teaches them that neither plain-bellied or star-bellies Sneetches are superior, they are all able to eventually get over their differences and become friends.

When Albin closed the book, he looked up to Loki with a grin. "Did I do good?"

"Yes, yes. You did marvellous. Now, Albin, can you tell me the moral of that story?" Loki squeezed his little hand, raising an eyebrow at the small boy.

"I... the... moral?"

"The meaning of the story."

"Oh. A... All Sneetches are equal."

Loki gave him a gentle, somewhat reassuring pat on the back. "Very good. And what can we pull from that?"

"Eve... Everyone... deserves friends."

"Everyone deserves to be treated fairly. No matter what gender, sexual orientation, or... if they're white, black... blue." Loki found himself looking into the eyes of the little boy before him and saying, "Everyone deserves respect."

The Sneetches was intended by this “Seuss” man to be satire of descrimination between races and cultures.

Thor's heart was melting. He couldn't hear what they were saying, although he could see perfectly well what was happening. Loki wasn't doing anything dangerous or cruel or unkind. Loki was teaching this little boy. Helping him read and learn.

Looking through the one-way glass, Thor could feel his heart pounding against the cage in which it was trapped, a blissful and exuberant feeling filling the young king to the brim.

He was right. There was still good in Loki. The boy he'd grown up loving was still in there. His _brother_ was still in there.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For the first time in a long while, Loki and Thor go out for a drink together. Beware, there is adult talk.

"I can't believe you did it. I thought I had high hopes for you, but apparently they were just high enough. Loki, that was... amazing." Thor truly seemed stunned, sitting up at the bar with a drink in hand, having some alcohol with his brother, like in the good old days. 

Loki simply raised his glass, as if in a toast, before taking a long swig of his mead, watching Thor over the rim of his glass. Thor, rather than nursing his drink as Loki often did, simply chugged the whole pint before asking the barmaid for another. 

She was a pretty little thing, wearing tight and rather revealing clothes, with dark, wavy hair and pale, pale skin. Loki was not at all surprised to see Thor's eye trained on her. 

"Anything for my king," she almost purred, placing the large stein in front of the one eyed warrior with a cheeky grin, before sliding away to tend to other customers. 

"Beautiful," Thor chuckled to his brother, "I wonder if father would approve of me making a barmaid the queen of Asgard." 

"Father is dead. Nonetheless, you're not making a barmaid the queen of Asgard. You haven't even had a proper conversation yet." Loki found himself almost groaning at the same old idiotic demeanour of the new king. 

"Mmm... I sense a challenge," Thor almost laughed, and as the barmaid came close again, the thunderer waved her over with a grin. 

Thor's method of "seduction" was always the same. Loki was bored of watching it play out. Seducing a barmaid would not be difficult for the king. 

A large and gentle hand on the small of her back guided her closer as Thor made quiet conversation, learning her name and her age all while Loki rolled his eyes and gave a rather irritated sigh. Always the same. The gentle touches, quiet flirting, happy smiles and yet sultry eyes. Thor was predictable. Too predictable. 

"Thor, we came here to drink and properly spend time with each other for the first time in years. Don't you think it's a bit rude, attempting to seduce a barmaid even now?" Loki scoffed, bringing his eyes up to meet the one remaining electric eye of the King of Asgard. "Quit flirting and sit." 

For once, Thor did as he was told, giving a loud sigh as he lifted his pint to his lips once again, taking a drink before muttering, "Just a bit of fun." 

"As always..."

Loki seemed rather distracted. By the strong and rowdy men in the corner or the beautiful and elegant ladies by the door, Thor was not sure which. 

"Tell me, Brother. Have you ever lain with someone?" 

Loki found himself sputtering on the mead he'd been attempting to drink, placing down his mug and taking a moment to catch his breath and fix himself before muttering, "I'm sorry, could you repeat the question?"

"Have you ever lain with someone, Loki? If so, a man, a woman..." Thor raised an eyebrow.

"What is it your business?" Loki was thrown a bit off kilter, definitely a bit confused. "Of course I've lain with someone... I will not tell you whom." 

"It was a man, was it not?" Thor almost chuckled, "There is no reason to be ashamed, Loki."

"It was a man, yes. A good man." 

Most of it was a lie. He'd never truly lain with someone- although he had done oral before, once, and he would prefer not to do it again unless he had to. 

"I bet it was that Grandmaster man." 

Loki once again almost spit his drink. 

Thor laughed. "So it was him!" 

Loki had done what he had to do, Alright? Loki talked his way out of problems when he could, never fought- he did what he had to do to get on the Grandmaster's good side. He did what he had to do. 

Loki shut his eyes tight against the heat gathering in his cheeks, and found himself putting his face in his hands, giving a rather exasperated sigh as he rubbed his eyes, "You're an idiot. Thor. You know I'd never do such a thing. I set up a few illusions, but really, I barely ever touched the man." A half-truth. "What about you?" Loki forced the subject to change just the slightest, "Have you ever been with a man? Or anything more than a barmaid or a palace maid?" 

"Oh, please... I've had plenty of women. Men, on the other hand... far fewer. I've kissed a few, but never really gone all the way." Thor was being honest with this, Loki could tell. 

"What is your definition of 'plenty'?" Loki found himself uttering, attempting to hide the twinge of almost jealousy he was sure Thor had picked up on. 

"My definition of 'plenty' is I don't count, but I know that I've had more than five moaning for me." 

The trickster felt rather dizzy at that, and was doing his best to ignore the sudden image of a pretty little maiden with Thor's cock in her, gripping at the sheets and crying out with delight.

"Mmm." He found himself humming in understanding, trying to pretend he didn't care at all as he took another drink of his mead. With the amount of contests he'd had with his idiot brother when it came to alcohol, Loki was hardly a lightweight, however he was starting to feel the familiar pleasant buzz that being tipsy cane along with.

"Tell me, Brother," Thor started, taking a swig of his third beer for the night, "Are you attracted to men, women, or anything?" 

"Well... first off, Brother, unlike you, I have standards, and won't fuck just anything with a hole and a heartbeat. I like men. I like strong men. Who are kind. Intelligent." Loki left it at that, finishing up his mead with a soft smile. 

There was a silence for a moment, before Thor spoke up again, asking rather quietly, "Do you miss Mother and Father?"

Loki took a moment to respond. His words were soft and true, no sarcasm or humour to them at all. They were serious. Real. 

"I miss mother every moment of the day... but father, only at certain times. He is the reason I am here... had he treated me as an equal, I would've been a far different person than I am as of now. I love mother with ever fiber of my being... yet father, I feel... different. I am almost glad he is-"

"Don't say that." Thor cut him off smoothly, effortlessly, "Do not say that you are glad. That is disrespectful on all levels. He is gone and we must respect him." 

"I will not respect a man, even in death, who never treated me with an ounce of respect in his life. Odin ruined me. He treated me like any other peasant, despite the fact I was meant to be his son." Loki had a stern look about him, his eyes dark and serious, avoiding eye contact with the man across from him. "Odin was not my father. I do not have a father. I had a mother, and she is gone. I did not even get the chance to say goodbye." 

There was another silence, a tense one,  
And the both of them had adverted their gazes and stayed quiet, until the silence had laid on Loki’s skin like a poison. It seeped into his blood and paralyzed him, a tremor in his hands as his eyes stung with oncoming tears. Loki was good at hiding his emotions, but now, with the help of alcohol and the pure amount of emotion he’d bottled up over the years, he was unable to stop a tear from sliding down the pale curves of his face, sliding along his jaw and dripping on to the table. He stayed quiet, and was motionless with an exception of the tremors in his hands. 

When Thor noticed the tear, he felt rather overwhelmed. Loki, crying? He’d seen his brother tear up, yes, but it was oh so rare for a tear to fall. Even rarer for there to be a second. And as a third slid down his cheek, Thor found himself reaching across the table, placing his large hand over that of Loki’s. 

“Tell me about the boy, the one you read with today. What was his name? He seemed like a nice child.” Thor’s words were rather hushed as he made eye contact with the man across from him. Loki’s eyes were dark, and he was obviously in pain. Distracting him was one of the only logical option Thor could come up with at the moment. 

“Albin... his name was Albin.” Loki muttered, before taking another drink of his mead, holding it close to his face as he spoke. “He read me his favourite book... it was about diversity. There were... yellow birds. By the name of Sneetches. They lived on beaches.” Loki took another sip and wiped his face on his sleeve before he continued, “Some Sneetches had stars on their stomachs and others did not. The Sneetches with stars discriminated against the Sneetches without... but in the end, everyone realized that with a star or without, all Sneetches are Sneetches and deserve respect.” 

“That sounds like a fun story. Is it from Midgard?” 

“Yes... an author by the name of Seuss.”  
Loki was soon met with the bottom of his glass, and found himself rather dizzy, although he was no longer crying and was now thinking about how comparable the story of the Sneetches was to Aesir and Jotuns, or Elves, or anyone, really. It was a good story. 

Thor handed a bit of money to the Barmaid before standing and making his way over to Loki’s side, offering him a hand to help him out of his seat. “Let us return to our room, Brother. We can talk further there. How are you feeling? Up for another drink? I do believe I’ve got some more beer up in our room.” 

“I don’t like beer, you know that.” Loki muttered, standing without Thor’s help, leading the way out the door. “By the way... thank you for getting that thing off of my ankle. It’s very liberating to be able to move around on my own again.” 

“No problem, brother. Now, I’ll meet you up in our room, Alright? I have a few things I must do.” Thor gave his brother a smile and a clap on the back before he disappeared down a hallway, leaving Loki on his own, left to his own devices when it came to finding his way back to their shared quarters.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki gets lost on his way back to their room, and finds himself in a rather tricky situation.

Loki had started to regret those three mugs of mead once he'd accidentally entered the third wrong room. He wasn't lost, no, he couldn't be lost. Sure, it was a big ship, but he was Loki, he was the sharpest knife at the chopping block... yet, those three mugs of mead had fuzzed up his mind enough for him to find himself unsure of where he was.

People walking by always avoided eye contact and sped up their pace, and so asking for help was not an option. Thank god for that. Loki's pride would not be able to handle asking for directions.

Once again, he came across a room that looked like it was his- but when he opened the door, he found himself met with three people, three guards, all fully dressed in uniform, standing in the entry way as if they'd been discussing something. Their chatter stopped as soon as the door had clicked open, and had swung away to reveal the rather lost trickster with cheeks tinged pink from the alcohol he'd drank.

"Well, speak of the devil." One of the guard's muttered, and the tallest one chuckled at that.

The new guard force had been made up of mostly good-hearted volunteers, along with the few survivors after the battle. Valkyrie was the temporary captain of the guards, and was in charge of training and positioning every guard on the ship, to protect and keep the peace.

"My apologies, sirs, I was simply looking for my-" Loki had started, and went to close the door, before one of the guards, the tallest of all of them, went to lean on it, keeping it open.

"That's all nice and well, but, trickster... answer me this. Why is it that the king still trusts you? Last time I checked you were still a homicidal maniac."

One of the guards giggled as Loki took a step back. This felt rather hostile, and it made Loki feel rather confused more than anything. What were these men planning to do? "I beg your pardon?"

"Why would the king put trust in you?"

One of the men started to advance, but Loki stood his ground. Nothing scared the trickster anymore. Not even death.

"Well, it could be something to do with the fact that I'm his brother, Or that I have manners, unlike some people." Loki hissed.

"That's rich, coming from a man who barged in on a private conversation because he was too lazy to knock." The third guard's voice was nasally and rather annoying, and Loki found himself cringing at it.

"I am not lazy," Loki practically spat in the face of the man, "I was under the impression that this was my room. I must've missed the fact that my quarters do not reek of old food and body odour."

The guard at the door took a bit of a step forward to glare at Loki down the crook of his nose. "Take that back."

"And just why should I? It's true."

As fast as lightening, a hand with ugly, sausage like fingers had swung up and met Loki's throat, shoving him against the wall, all of the breath rather forcefully leaving Loki's lungs and his head knocked off the wall, leaving him rather dizzy and disoriented, but not enough so to stop him from grabbing the wrist, yanking the hand away from his throat, and twisting the man's arm until he heard a pop.

The guard gave a screech, and as Loki had swiftly turned to sprint away, he found himself unable to control his now rapidly spasming muscles as he fell to the floor, electricity coursing threw him.

Of course. The tallest guard had been the one monitoring him all day. The tallest guard had the controls to the little thing in his neck that could deliver a powerful shock to him, powerful enough to floor him.

When the shocking stopped, Loki was drained. The man had been awake for something like 45 hours, was still recovering from battle, and had now just been given an electric shock strong enough to take down a bear. Norns, all Loki wanted to do was sleep.

However, that seemed a very bad idea, Loki decided, especially with the strong hands grabbing him by the arms, dragging him through the hallways as Loki struggled to keep his eyes open.

By the time he finally managed to somewhat clear his head, these men had dragged him to a room Loki had never seen before, a room Loki didn't want to see, not in this context.

With a pool taking up the majority of the floor space, there wasn't far for the guards to drag him.

"Take your pick, trickster. Where would you prefer to drown? Hot tub, or the pool? I think the pool would be a lot more fun, watching you sink down to the bottom of it. Erland, grab me that rope."

Loki, already fighting to keep conscious, finds his silver tongue has turned to lead after such a shock. He's unable to even feel half of it. However, that doesn't stop him from using the other trick up his sleeve- Seidr.

A snap of his fingers, and a snake appears, a cobra, slithering up and out of the dark depths of the pool, up the leg of one of the guards. A bite to the thigh leaves one of the guards crying out and stumbling back, releasing one of Loki's arms, which he then uses to rather dramatically flip the other guard into the pool.

Temporarily freed, Loki reaches up to touch his neck, to feel the circular implant which was so often used to control him-

And he ripped it out, sparks flying as he tore out a good majority of the machine, leaving it rather uselessly half-hanging out of his neck until he'd have it properly removed.

Blood seeped from it, although he had far bigger problems to worry about, especially as the guard known as Erland and another who was the tallest charged him, and although Loki fought his best, he was disoriented, exhausted, and had drank too much to properly hold his own. Had the circumstances been different, he would've beat these shits into the ground. But now, he found himself forced up against the wall, rope being used to bind his wrists and his feet.

Unable to do much other than curse and struggle, Loki soon stilled, though he hadn't given up.

Seidr is a powerful thing. Although Loki had yet to perfect the art, he was still probably classifiable as a master at it. And with it, he was able to appear in front of Thor, as much as it hurt his pride to ask for help. He was able to show him where he was, what was happening- even if just for a fleeting glimpse. It would be enough.

It had to be enough, as Loki had soon been shoved into the dark water, sinking slowly but surely. There were few lights in the room that had been turned on, and so it was dark and gloomy as Loki struggled to hold his breath. The deeper he sunk, the greater the pressure. The greater the pressure, the harder it was to stop himself from gasping for air.

Soon enough, what almost felt like panic had finally begun to set in, and Loki had come to terms with the fact that he could very well die. If Thor, the god damn oaf, wasn't fast enough, Loki would drown.

No, no, that couldn't be the end of it. No. There had to be another way. Perhaps he could part the water like that Moses fellow? No, there was too much of it, he wasn't strong enough. Break his bonds? Not strong enough. He could've burnt his bonds, using his Seidr, however that would've been difficult considering the fact he was underwater.

Soon enough, his lungs had begun to sting, yellow spots appearing in his vision as he touched the very bottom of the pool.

He couldn't die here, could he?

Could he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this chapter fairly late at night so I’m sorry if it’s poorly written lmao


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor somewhat panics. Read the chapter ;))

When Thor had kicked open the doors to the pool, he hadn't expected what he'd seen.

While the guards were beat up and exhausted, and were trying to fight off a cobra, Loki was nowhere in sight. The cobra seemed to perk up at the sight of Thor, however, and the guards looked over to see the king of Asgard, in nothing but a pair of pyjama bottoms, sparking with anger.

"Y-your majesty-" One stuttered, But Thor was already stomping his way over, grabbing one guard by the front of his garb and tossing him into the water.

It was only when Thor watched the snake turn to black smoke that he noticed Loki was at the bottom of the pool, hands and feet tied together, his dark hair acting almost like a shroud. The man was motionless.

Two other guards are struck by a rather powerful bolt of lightening before the king of Asguard dives into the pool of water, powerful arms and legs aiding him reach the bottom of the pool in no time at all.

Loki was still. He floated a few feet off of the bottom of the pool, bubbles seeping past his barely-parted lips.

Thor was quick to act. Grabbing him around the torso, he kicked off the bottom and sped towards the surface, pulling in a great gasp of air once he'd breached it.

For once, it was nice having shorter hair, as it stayed out of his eyes and was not in his way whatsoever as he tore Loki's bonds with his bare hands, ripping the rope as if it was made of paper.

Thor panted heavily, blinking desperately, trying to clear his head of confusion and disorientation.

Thor was panicking. Thor was full out panicking. He barely felt anything over the pure and utter confusion and terror. His head spun almost painfully, his shock turning quickly to fear. Everything was happening too fast. He tried to breathe evenly through the rising dread, knowing he had to take action now or forever regret not doing so. He was not going to lose his brother. Not again.

Thor leaned over Loki, laying him down on his back, pausing for a small, terrifying moment, only for him to realize that Loki was unconscious, his skin pale and his hair sticking to his face. Thor panicked, leaning down until his ear was just above Loki's nose and slightly parted lips, listening intently, praying to the Norns he'd feel and hear his breathing.

But no. He was met with a terrifying and cold silence.

Loki had no pulse. He was not breathing whatsoever. Loki was motionless, white as a ghost, his lips starting to tinge blue, water dribbling from them.

"You are not allowed to die." Thor hissed, before bringing a fist down on Loki's chest, a hard pound that caused him to jerk, more water leaking from his lips.

Then, Thor found himself remembering, thrown back into a memory he had of earth, while sitting in someone's living room, watching television.

A woman had drowned, a pretty woman, and an equally pretty man had pressed on her chest and gave her a kiss with air until she'd come back. Was that what he was supposed to do?

It was worth a try.

Trying to replay the memory in his head, doing his very best to remember, Thor folded his hands over Loki's still chest, pushing down in quick, sharp movements, more and more water spilling from Loki's pale lips, his eyes remaining closed and his body motionless.

While Thor straddled the trickster, he continued with the forceful pushes to Loki's chest until he found himself leaning down, tilting his head back and holding his chin in place before he met his lips, so much colder than Thor had dreamed, gifting him the air he so desperately needed.

Still no reaction, no response. No "get off me, you fool!" Or "what are you doing, you blithering idiot?". Thor was met with the still terrifying silence.

That's when Thor struck an idea that he thought was genius.

If electricity could stop a heart, why couldn't it start it?

Big, strong hands fit themselves on Loki's chest, and Thor closes his eye, focusing, focusing, channeling his energy...

And he delivered a shock that caused Loki's body to jolt, arching into his touch, before once again going still.

And then there was sputtering, coughing. Loud and urgent, and then Thor helped Loki roll on to his side, his eyes wide. He was spitting up water, more and more water, until he then took a deep gasping breath, then another, and colour finally returned to his face, his lips, and He brushed his wet hair off of his forehead, breathing as deep as he could.

Thor gave a loud shout of triumph and shuddered with an overwhelming relief, a cold sweat breaking over his skin. His terrified and grief filled gasps for breath turned into exhales of relief and happiness.

Once Loki finally managed to take in what was going on, and how hot his lips and chest felt, he did his best to sit up and kick at his brother. "Thor, you-" he was caught in a coughing fit, before catching his breath again and then continuing, "You dolt... I was halfway to Helheim..." he joked, before flopping back down, his chest heaving up and down. The guards were long gone, having turned tail and ran as soon as Thor had jumped into the water- it was only the two of them.

"Brother... I am simply glad you are breathing again," Thor panted, his smile insuppressible. "I feel great joy, hearing you speak..."

"Mmmm... goodness, I'm cold... Thor, Brother, Darling, will you carry me, please and thank you? I find myself rather tired... especially after such an event."

Thor simply laughed at that, before sitting up and making his way over to Loki's side, lifting him up and over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. Loki found himself giggling rather uncontrollably as Thor carried him out of the room, the two of them still completely soaked with water and chilled to the bone.

"Why do you think those three idiots wanted you dead so badly?" Thor asked, and Loki was quick with his response.

"I insulted them. I said their quarters smelt like old food and body odour. Oh, and perhaps they dislike the fact that a mass murderer is now working with children. That may have played a part."

Thor found himself chuckling at that. With Loki back, he was giddy on adrenaline and relief. "Alright, Brother. Now, while I am to go settle this whole situation, I would like you to take a hot shower and put on comfortable night clothes. You are going to sleep, for a full eight hours at least. You need it."

Loki hummed in understanding , "Alright... but don't expect me to be asleep before you return."


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki discovers that Thor is often plagued with nightmares.

After a long, hot shower, and a good hour of trying to find some decent clothes that actually fit him in their pathetic little room, Loki had decided that grey sweatpants and a green teeshirt were the best things to wear to bed. He was not going to sleep though, not yet- he wanted to make sure Thor was here before he was asleep.

But, with hours dragging on and on, and no sign of Thor, Loki found himself almost... worried. What if something had happened to his brother, something bad? It shouldn't have taken this long to send out the order to get three men arrested. Unless...

Unless the fool went after them himself. 

Loki found himself groaning in annoyance at the realization, although he was far too tired to do anything about it. Thor could handle himself. He was King of Asgard, after all. It's not like he couldn't completely destroy three weak little boys who needed to get their priorities straight. The only reason Loki couldn't was because he was a little bit fucked up after 3 mugs of mead and not sleeping for far too long. 

With that, Loki decided it would probably be best to go to sleep without Thor. As much as he'd liked to have another person in the room, just to be safe, he was far too tired to wait up any longer, and knowing Thor, this could take a while. 

He slid beneath the silk sheets, pulling the duvet up to his chin, the man hidden in a pile of pillows and blankets. Norns. this was comfy. 

Sleep came swiftly. Within maybe twenty minutes, Loki was fast asleep, only to be woken a few hours later by a gasp. 

It was close, right by his ear, and soon to follow it was a shaky hand, a big hand that was oh so familiar, that scrambled to ever so carefully fit itself just over Loki's nose and mouth. 

It was dark, and Thor must've climbed into bed with him- it was the middle of the night, and Loki was now suddenly awake and aware, very aware, especially of Thor's racing heart and loud, shaky breathing. 

Once the careful hand detected Loki's steady, slow breaths, it retracted back to Thor's side. 

With a sudden shock of realization, Loki shifted on to his other side, facing his brother with gentle eyes that the thunderer could barely see in the dark. The only illumination they had was the gentle light of a far-off star peering in through the window, and it allowed Thor to see just the basic features of the trickster's face. 

Loki, though, Loki can see more, because of where they're positioned, with Loki's back to the window and Thor facing it. He can see the now somewhat comforted fear in Thor's eyes, and he can see the heavy rise and fall of his chest with each still-frantic breath. 

Loki clears his throat, and Thor looks away in almost shame. When Loki speaks, it's in a careful and heedful whisper, hushed and cautious. 

"I suppose... just this once, I... I will allow you to sleep with your head on my chest. Will that aid with nightmares, perhaps?" Loki offers, heat rising to his cheeks. He was grateful that Thor wouldn't be able to see it. 

Without another word, Loki tugged off his shirt, tossing it across the room somewhere before laying back down, this time on his back. His chest was smooth, his stomach flat- he wasn't completely ripped like Thor, but he wasn't exactly weak either.

When Thor hesitated, Loki found himself grumbling something about a foolish king as he pulled his brother close, resting his head on the frost giant's chest. His skin was cool, but not overly so- it was a comfortable temperature, and Thor was able to feel and hear the steady rhythm of the man's heart against his ear. It was more than comforting to be able to listen to the steady drumming. 

"T... thank you." Thor muttered, soft enough for it to barely even be audible.

"Really, Brother, you mustn't thank me... So long as you allow me to sleep through the rest of the night, I am... I am perfectly fine with you resting your head on my chest." The trickster allowed his eyes to flutter shut, and in the sleepy haze he was in, he found himself reaching up with a careful hand to play with Thor's soft hair, still unused to just how short it was. "How are you liking your new hair?"

"I dislike it, but I suppose I'll have to live with it for now... it's far too short." The grumbled, shifting his head a bit, the rough stubble against Loki's skin causing the trickster to shiver.

"I think it suits you." Loki whispered, "That long hair of yours was always so greasy to start with. Perhaps having shorter, More manageable hair will be a good change." 

Thor grumbled something rather indecipherable, before Loki spoke up again. 

"How often is it you get nightmares, Brother?" He breathed, his words quiet and hesitant. 

"Every time I manage to fall asleep." The man groaned, "Now, if you excuse me, I'd enjoy doing so again, hopefully this time without disturbing dreams." 

"Do not try to avoid this conversation. It will happen wether you avoid it or not." Loki hissed, before letting out a gentle, yet somewhat frustrated sigh. "Brother, sometimes you can truly be an imbecile. Tell me about your nightmares, and we will fight them together." 

The thunderer shifted a bit and gave an irritated huff, looking up at Loki rather suspiciously. "What kind of fuckery is this? Since when do you give a damn about me and my dreams?" 

Loki scowled. "Since they've started awakening me from my own. Until we're able to sleep in the same room without you awakening me to check if I'm still breathing, I'm going to do my very best to help you with your idiotic problems." 

Thor groaned. "If you're so insistent..." he gave a quiet pause to readjust with his head on his heart again, listening to the steady thumping, before he continued to speak. "Nightmares frequent me almost ever second night. Often about you, or mother- about the warrior's three and Sif... about Jane. However... every nightmare of you is different from the others... your death is always different. With every nightmare comes a new way of watching the light fade from your eyes." 

Loki was silent, careful fingers sliding through his King's blond hair.

"The most recent one... you were pushed out of the airlock. I watched you die... do you know what happens to an unsuited body, once in space? They freeze... and crack, like a porcelain doll..." 

A chill was sent down Loki's spine at the thought. "I'm not sure that's accurate for Jotuns like myself." 

"It's what happened in my head."

There was a long silence, a tense one, before Loki shifted sit up, Thor doing so as well. 

"Listen well, Thor... you are an amazing king, A fantastic brother, and a wonderful fighter. And... despite our differences, I.. I do trust you... to a certain extent. Can you put just the slightest bit of trust in me?" 

When Thor glances up and met what he expected to be icy cold eyes, he was met with the gentle gaze of a boy, a boy he'd loved all his life. 

"I don't plan on dying any time soon, Brother." Loki assured with almost a smile. "Even if it were to attempt to take me by surprise, I'll alert you, and... you can prance in and save me... if necessary." This was obviously taking quite the toll on Loki's pride, although he'd do anything to make sure he could actually get some sleep. 

"Promise me something." Thor whispered, scooting closer before laying down again, this time on his side. 

"Mmm... depends on what the Promise is." Loki muttered, sucking up the rest of his pride before cuddling close to his brother. The warmth was soothing, and Loki knew that holding him would help his brother hopefully have better dreams.

"Stay with me." 

The words shocked the trickster still. For one of the first times in his life, he was rendered speechless. 

Thor let out a shaky breath, hot against Loki's skin, before he continued, "Stay with Asgard. Stay where we can protect each other, and the kingdom..." Strong and forceful arms seemed to squeeze him even tighter. "...Brother." 

Silence. Tense silence, before two shaky words escaped the trembling lips of the trickster. "I promise."


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> just some fluff tbh lmao

Once morning had come and gone, their positions has changed drastically- Thor, who often tossed and turned while he slept, was half-off the bed, his long legs hanging off the side while his head was beside Loki's, an arm resting over the other man's back.

Loki was sleeping on his stomach, spread out like a starfish, his head turned to the side. They were close, the thunderer's cheek resting against the top of the trickster's head.

Despite Thor's thunderous snoring, Loki had slept well. Though he felt guilty for sleeping so long, it had been wonderful to rest. Now, however, as he blinked slowly until his eyes managed to focus, he was filled with dread and almost horror as the white numbers on the digital clock finally made sense.

He'd overslept. Oh, god, he'd overslept- he was supposed to go volunteer from 11am to 5pm, and with the clock now reading 3:37pm, he was definitely a least a little bit late.

Struck with panic, Loki bolted up into a sitting position, startling the previously slumbering King by his side.

"Brother...? Brother, come back to sleep..." the man groaned, a large hand reaching over to grab Loki by the wrist, although he was tired and his hand-eye coordination was not the best, so instead his large hand found it's way to Loki's thigh.

The trickster practically jumped away from the warm hand, suppressing a gasp as he moved away, rustling through the drawers in search of proper clothes.

"Loki... why the sudden rush...? Come baaaaaaack..." Thor almost laughed, although it turned into a yawn as he rolled over to get closer to the man, reaching towards him with grabby hands.

Loki easily evaded him, slipping into the bathroom and locking the door before coming back out within mere seconds, changed and ready to go. "I must go, Thor, I'll already be in enough trouble as is."

"Trouble? Loki, I informed the organizers of the orphanage you were recovering from an attack last night. You have the day off." Thor was sitting up now, rubbing the sleep from his eye.

Loki stopped in his tracks, giving a groan. "And you didn't think to inform me?"

Thor shrugged, "I didn't want to wake you."

Loki found himself rolling his eyes, making his way to the bathroom again, this time leaving the door open, as he was only brushing his hair. It had been getting quite long, and he loved it- so wavy and free. Short hair was a symbol of servitude and slavery, and so for Loki, growing out his hair was his way of saying that he would no longer be a slave to any rules or requirements, or anything at all, for the matter. He was Loki. And Loki did whatever he wanted.

"Brotherrrrrrr.... come back to bed..." Thor groaned, flopping back down on the bed. The man was dressed in black sweatpants and nothing else, his short hair neat and tidy and the black eyepatch hiding the mess that had been made of his eye.

"It's three in the afternoon, Brother, we ought to get up and do something productive. Don't you have things to do?" Loki yawned and put the hairbrush back in it's place, before grabbing a basket full of medical supplies.

"No..." Thor groaned, yanking the covers over his head.

"Oh, please, Brother, you're the new king of Asgard. You must have something to do." Making his way out of the bathroom, Loki tossed the basket at the king of Asgard, who's hand reflexively reached up out of the covers to catch the basket with ease.

"What is this for?" Thor peaked out from under the blankets, watching his brother approach and kneel on the bed beside him.

"Your eye. We need to-" Loki was interrupted by a loud groan from his brother,

"Loki, please, just let me sleep..."

"You've been sleeping for fifteen hours, at least. We need to properly clean and bandage your eye, Thor. If we don't, you could run the risk of infection. Now sit up and allow me to help you."

After a moment of contemplation, Thor tugged off the comforter and forced himself into a sitting position, looking almost a bit embarrassed as he reached up and took off the black eyepatch.

Blood was the first thing that Loki noticed. With a snap of his fingers, every light in the room was on, and there was a small flashlight in his hand. A cool, gentle finger slid under Thor's chin and tilted his head back, the trickster shifting closer to get a better look. It was still an open wound, covered in dried blood. Thor's eye was definitely done for.

"Does it hurt?" Loki asked, a gentle hand caressing the King's cheek as he examined his wound.

"Not anymore. It hurt when it happened, but now it just throbs every now and then. Will you hurry this up?"

Loki couldn't help but grin. Oh, this was going to be fun.

Wetting a clean towelette with a strong-smelling disinfectant, Loki found himself almost chuckling as he began to clean the wound, eliciting a gasp and a groan from the man.

By the time Loki had cleaned him all up, Thor was shaking, although doing his very best to hide it. A hand gripped Loki's wrist and squeezed it tight every time a wave of pain came around, and by the time Thor was all bandaged and had his eye patch on once again, Loki was sure there would be fairly dark bruises around his wrist for at least a few days.

When Loki shrunk away, Thor almost seemed to collapse in on himself, both hands immediately covering his face, brushing his hair back, wiping his eye of any tears that may or may not have slipped out.

"Painful, wasn't it? I can't imagine what it must be like, losing an eye..." Loki was quick to pack away the medical supplies back in their basket, turning his back to his brother. He knew for a fact that Thor would be rather sensitive about the tear that had slipped down his face, and so he pretended he hadn't seen it. As much fun as it was to press Thor’s buttons, now was not a good time.

Thor rubbed his good eye and adjusted his eyepatch, mumbling something indecipherable before forcing a bit of a smile. "Nothing the king of Asgard can't handle... I've suffered worse, that I can assure you."

"Mm. Well, does the king of Asgard want something to eat? I'm going for a walk to the kitchens, I think. Care to join me?" Loki offered, quick and steady hands putting everything back into place, tidying the room. Loki loved chaos, sure, but his quarters always had to be spotless and in order. His quarters were his space to decompress, to be safe and relaxed. They had to be clean. Because Loki was not.

"Yes, I'll accompany you. I need to speak with Heimdall anyway."

"Really? What about?"

"Our journey to earth... we should be there by now. Perhaps we took a detour or two."

Loki gave a gentle sigh, but said nothing. He knew full well why they were avoiding earth.

"I still can't believe we have a sister," Thor uttered as he forced himself up, dropping his sweatpants without a care as he changed into something more suitable to be seen in.

Loki scowled and quickly squeezed his eyes tightly shut, turning on his heels so that his back was to the man who was now practically naked. "You, not we. You had a sister, not me. And will you ever learn to stop doing that?"

"Doing what?"

"Undressing without a care. You know it bothers me."

"Which is precisely why I do it! Don't you like the view~?"

Loki groaned and rolled his eyes, keeping his back to the man who was now flexing and showing off his strong arms and such. “I hate you.”

“I know.”

Thor pulled on some proper pants and his usual armour, even taking the time to brush his hair. Loki waited rather impatiently, hungrily, leaning up against the dresser in his usual green and black garb. “She’s dead, anyway. We destroyed her and her source of power.”

“I wish I could’ve gotten to know her as a sibling rather than an enemy.”

Loki gave a rather irritated sigh. “You’ve still got me. I’m a sibling and an enemy.”

The thunderer laughed at that. “Come, Let us go search for sustenance...”

“I’m being serious. Why are you upset about her when I’m still here? I’ve tried to take over Asgard before. Simply in... a less violent fashion.” Loki looked up at the man beside him, a spark of anger hitting him straight in the heart at the fact that even without boots on, the king of Asgard was taller than him, by what must’ve been an inch. Ugh.

With a snap of his fingers, Loki was wearing heels, and smugly smirking down at the man beside him. Thor didn’t seem to notice, mostly confused by what Loki had said.

“You’re rather conflicted, aren’t you?” Thor found himself almost chuckling, “You claim that Hela is not your sister, yet you call me Brother, and refer to yourself as my sibling. What is going on with you? Are you adopted, or not?”

Loki hummed in amusement. “It varies from moment to moment, depending on which ever will give me an advantage.” Depending on if he was checking him out or not. “I still can’t believe you... coming to my aid last night, like you did.”

“What, and saved you from your watery grave? Why wouldn’t I? You’re my brother...” Loki was all he had left. His parents, his sister, his home- now, what did he have? A people that expected him to lead, and his brother.

Loki opened the door and began to make his way towards the make-shift cafeteria, Thor following closely behind. “I’ve done many things in my life, Thor, many terrible things,” Loki sighed, “Most men would have left me at the bottom of that wretched pool.”

“You’ve done many things, Brother, but you do not deserve death. Believe me. You are... good, no matter how much you seem to want to prove me wrong. You’re twisted. Not evil.” When Thor’s eye met Loki’s, he was somewhat surprised to see the full on grin the man was sporting.

“For once, you seem to understand me, Brother.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve been very busy with exams as of late, so I’m sorry that I haven’t written much.


	8. chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the people of Asgard hesitant about going to earth, Loki and Thor have decided that checking out some of the nearest uninhabited planets would be their best option. The first one they come across, however, holds many surprises just below the surface.

The wind was brisk and bitter against Thor's face, snowflakes gathering in his beard and hair, although it didn't seem to bother him much. Dressed in furs as he was, he was plenty warm, even with the -35 degree Celsius weather. 

"The air is breathable." 

Loki rolled his eyes, "Obviously, you oaf. We wouldn't be out here if it wasn't. It's fairly rich in oxygen as well..." Loki took a moment to scroll down on his archive tablet. "All I'm concerned about is these temperatures. Suitable for me, however I doubt it'd be comfortable for the citizens of Asgard." 

Thor crosses his arms, looking over at his brother with a confused look. "What do you mean by that?"

Loki gave a groan, "I'm a frostgiant, you inbred." 

"Oh... right, yes, I forgot about that."

"How can you just forget about my race?" Loki almost hissed. 

"I mean, you do look Aesir," Thor pointed out, poking Loki's pale cheek. 

When the trickster turned to face his brother, multiple things had changed. Loki's previous look had morphed from one of confusion to one of almost anger, and from where Thor has poked his cheek, the pale porcelain of his skin turned to something darker, a blue, the smooth surface becoming riddled with patterns that gave Loki a beautifully ancient look. His eyes had gone from steely blue to flaming red in mere seconds. "I am not Aesir. I am a bloody Jotun, and you know that." 

Within seconds, however, the blue was fading away once again, and Loki was returned to his usual state. 

"I am a runt of a frost giant... and that is all." 

Thor's eye scanned their surroundings, the barren terrain rather flat, completely covered with snow. "No."

"No?"

"No. You are so much more than just a Jotun, Loki." Thor's tone was gentle, although his words were true. "You're a strong, powerful sorcerer. You survived a fall from the bifrost twice, Loki. You almost took over Midgard, and... Me, the god of thunder, king of Asgard, needed to enlist a team of a few of the most elite and powerful warriors in the universe to get you under control. And you put Odin, the strongest being in the universe, under a powerful spell of... some sorts." 

While they had previously been walking farther away from the ship, deeper into the snow that covered the land, Loki stopped in his tracks. 

"To top it all off, you're one of the most attractive men I've ever seen..." A big, gloved hand was suddenly at the small of Loki's back, comforting yet tantalizing. It caused a shiver to crawl it's way down Loki's spine. 

Heat rushed to the trickster's cheeks, but he chose to ignore it, continuing to walk forward through the snow. "So?" 

"So... you're so much more than just a Jotun, Loki. Sure, you're blue and have... a very cold body. But that's not all you are." 

Loki stayed quiet for the moment. 

"Anyway," Thor started, "I don't see any signs of vegetation..." 

"Not here, no. We ought to have a look around, hm?" Loki elbowed his brother in the side with a grin, taunting, "Catch me if you can." Before taking off, sprinting as fast as he could in the deep snow. Unlike Thor, Loki was not wearing a heavy amount of armour and a bulky layer of furs- the man was wearing fairly light clothing, and his winter boots were more like waterproof running shoes. 

Already being nimble and quick, it did not take much for Loki to take the lead, sprinting as fast as he could.

He hadn't gotten very far, however, before the ground below him gave out and and a cry of surprise escaped him as he fell straight down, disappearing out of Thor's view completely. 

Thor slowed to a stop at that, quite shocked by the sudden disappearance of his brother. "Loki?" He called, although he was met with nothing but the echoing sound of his brother's cry. 

He creeped closer, snow crunching under his boots, soon enough coming across how and why his brother had disappeared. 

A hole. A dark, dirt hole, which must've been concealed by a blanket of snow which Loki had tread on. It wasn't a straight downwards hole, more of a steep tunnel, one which would take a lot of strength and stamina to climb up. It was meant for trapping things, that Thor could tell. 

With a groan of annoyance, Thor said loudly, for Heimdall to hear; "If we are in grave danger, or do not return in three hours, send aid." 

And with that, he gave a sigh and jumped down into the hole. A bit surprised with just how slippery it was, turning into more of a slide than anything as he slid down and down and down, deeper and deeper into the earth until it became a bit of a warmer temperature, and a light appeared at the end of the tunnel.

What he came upon first, however, once he'd stopped in a narrow dirt cavity, were two holes, both leading to well-lit rooms, different rooms. Thor could not tell what was in them, other than the mountains of straw to catch him once he jumped down one of the holes. 

Giving a rather heavy sigh, he chose the hole to his right, dropping down and landing on his back in the pile of hay. The drop had been farther than he'd thought, and even though the pile of straw did lessen the impact, it winded him, an airless groan escaping his lips as all the wind was pushed from his lungs in a rush. Soon enough though, he was back on his feet, and although dizzy, he stumbled out of the stack of hay, hands in fists and sparks dancing around them. "Loki!" He shouted, his voice echoing through the tunnels and caverns. 

It was decently lit, a fire pit in the centre of a room with a sort of duct right above to catch the smoke. The floor was dirt, a deep red dirt, which was dry and sandy under his boots. 

"Loki?" Thor called once again, his vision taking quite a while to adjust from the stormy white blizzard to the gentle light from the fire in the fairly dark room. 

Once he finally managed to get his eye to cooperate, however, he was cursing under his breath. 

He was in a cage. A big, tight-barred, metal cage.

Quite angry with the fact he was caught like some sort of caged animal, he stomped over to the bars and wrapped his hands around them- only to give a screech of surprise and pain. "What in God's name-!"

He quickly yanked back his hands, rather alarmed by just how hot the cage was. Both of his hands, now covered in quickly forming blisters from the burn he's received. "Mother of fuck..." 

He was stuck. The god of thunder was stuck in a hot cage. He couldn't even climb out- the metal was everywhere but the hole in which he'd fallen from, the bars fitting snugly against the roof of the cavern. There was a door, yes, however it was most likely locked and Thor wouldn't dare touch it. 

He didn't have enough time to even try to formulate an escape plan before the ground almost began to shake, rumbling with the arrival of the thing that had built the tunnels. 

He was probably twice as big as Thor. Stomping in with a sneer, the troll held in hand what seemed to be a battle axe, wearing a mishmash tunic made from what must've been twenty rabbit pelts, all of varying colours. He had no hair, and what would've been a monstrous forehead, had it not been for the third eye directly in the middle of it. 

Because he had three eyes, Thor assumed the troll could see very well. But it turned out, because of a cooking accident, he was blind in two of them, and the third, the one on his forehead, had very bad eyesight. And so, when he saw a blur of moving colour in the metal cage, he had to pause and squint, taking a few more steps forward before he realized it was a tiny human in the cage. 

"WENCH!" He called, a thunderous roar of a word, "Dinner has arrived! Will you come carve him up?"

"Yes, Darling!" The next voice was familiar, and Thor almost laughed at who came through the door next.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Captured by the troll, Thor must find his brother and somehow escape.

Strutting through the large doorway came a person whom he usually would call his brother, however, now he wasn't sure what term to use. It definitely was Loki, Alright- dark hair, high cheekbones, bright green eyes- except now, he sported breasts and wider hips, along with a grin that quickly faded as he laid eyes on his brother. 

Loki had adapted his appearance to look more feminine, and even his voice had changed. The troll had completely bought it. 

The troll opened up the little cage door, and Thor almost burst out laughing. "Seriously, Brother?" 

Before Loki could respond, the troll answered for him. "Do not address me as brother, tiny thing." A snap of the troll's fingers, and Thor was chained, arms tight to his side and his grin quickly falling. 

Thor was angry now, but also confused. "Loki, what are you-"

A snap of Loki's fingers this time, and a gag was in Thor's mouth, affectingly silencing him. 

"He'll be cooked up in no time, master." Loki assured, and with the mere lift of a finger, Thor was off his feet, suspended in the air and soon enough being guided down the hallway, floating near the ceiling as he struggled against his bonds and attempted to shout at his brother, rage quickly filling him as Loki brought through tunnels galore, finally putting him down in another dirt room, this one with a big cauldron in the centre and dead animals hanging from the ceiling. 

Finally out of earshot of the troll, Loki gave a rather irritated groan and dropped Thor, the gag disappearing almost instantly. 

"How do you do that?" Thor almost laughed, anger now fading a bit. "We can't have been here for more than five minutes." 

"When he found me in a cage, he thought I was a woman, and offered me a choice." Loki's voice was still feminine, soft and rather gentle as he unchained the king of Asgard. "Be his slave, or be his dinner. Now come, we must escape this place before we both become his next meal." 

"A troll... living underground, who traps and eats anything he can." Thor muttered, giving a sigh of relief as the chains loosened and dropped to the dirt ground. "Let's find another planet to inhabit. This one is definitely not the best... and it's always freezing." 

"Not always." Loki corrected, "If it was always below zero, it would not snow, as there would be no way of water to evaporate and reach the clouds. We are simply visiting during the winter of this planet." The trickster helped his brother to his feet, offering almost a bit of a smile. "You're such an oaf... now, let's get out of here." 

Thor looked around the room, glad to see there was another door at the other side of it. "Do you know where an exit would be?" 

"It's not like I have a map, Thor. I've only been here a minute or so longer then you have." Loki lead the way, his facade still up as he made his way through the tunnels, never really sure where he was going. "This is a fairly big network of tunnels, though we ought to find at least one way out." 

"Does the troll live here alone?" Thor's hands still throbbed from the pain, the skin burnt bad enough for it to have bubbled with blisters already. He would have a hell of a time jacking off like this. 

"As far as I know, yes." Loki turned a corner, and then immediately turned and pushed Thor backwards, shoving him into a dark room that smelt of clay and dirt. The ground once again tumbled as the troll made his way past, Loki's heart racing almost as fast as Thor's was. 

Having pushed him flat against the wall, Loki's body was flush with Thor's, a hand over his mouth keeping him quiet as he waited for the Troll's footsteps to fade. 

Thor was unsure how to react, although with fairly decent sized breasts pressed up against his coat, he wasn't complaining. 

Loki backed away from his brother and went back to leading the way, his brisk walk soon turning into a sprint when he came across a long tunnel with an upwards slant. 

Thor ran along beside him, and although he did his best to keep his eye forward as they made it out of the tunnel and to a (very cold) wooden trap door, he found his eye often traveling to those beautiful tits that would bounce with every step Loki took. Oh, god, it had been far too long since Thor had been laid, and even just the sight of breasts seemed to get him aroused. 

Thor pushed open the trap door with the back of his arms, avoiding using his hands, as they still hurt every time he did anything with them. 

Climbing out of the hole, Loki managed to get about halfway up the side and out before he found himself unable to get any grip with his feet to move up farther. Rather irritated by his brother and his uselessness, Loki snapped, "Can't you see I'm struggling? Help me!" 

Thor, who had been enjoying the splendid view of Loki's ass, decided it would probably be best to help out before his brother got angrier, and balled his hands into fists, flinching as he attempted to give his brother the boost he needed. Luckily, it was just enough. 

Loki clambered over the side and into the snow, almost laughing with relief before he gave a flick of his finger, and Thor too was in the snow. It felt like heaven against his burnt hands, and he grabbed handfuls of snow to help his burns while they ran towards the small ship they had taken down to the surface. 

This time, it was Thor who's foot fell out from underneath him, the snow collapsing from beneath him as another trap was revealed. Luckily, this time, the victim held out his arms and managed to keep himself from sliding down the chute. "Holy fuck!" 

Loki, quick to think an act, had grabbed Thor's arm and yanked, helping tug him out of the hole and to his feet. 

It was then they heard another rumble. This time, it wasn't just the ground shaking under the Troll's feet. It was his roar to go along with it. "WENCH!" 

Fear was obvious in Loki's eyes, and his facade melted away as he turned and sprinted as fast as he could, Thor barely able to keep up. Their small craft was in view, although they were running against the wind and the troll was in pursuit. 

Loki was fast. But the troll was faster. 

Glancing back, Loki caught the troll in his view, and his feet began to slow as the beast grabbed Thor by the calf and lifted him, before tossing him at his brother. 

Both Thor and Loki giving a shout, Loki dived one way and Thor hit the snow, rolling after the initial impact. Both boys now laying in snow, Thor seemed to explode into lightening, and when the bright burst of power retreated, the man was no longer dressed in furs- instead, armour. He was ready to fight. 

"Thor, no! We don't stand a chance!" Loki shouted, forcing himself to his feet. 

Without his beloved Mjolnir, Thor was left with his fists to fight with. And as they sparkled with static, Loki could smell the ozone in the air. Thor was angry, jaw set, his eye bright with electricity. 

The trolls attention, however, had turned to Loki, who was dusting the snow off of his clothes. the troll, or really, the somewhat blinded cyclops, charged at him, and before Loki could even think to set up at illusion of some sorts, or try to avoid his grasp, the Troll has grabbed him around the torso and thrown him at their ship. 

Luckily, the cyclops had fairly bad aim. Loki landed safely in the snow, sliding under the ship. The Jotun then shook the snow from his hair and attempted to clear his thoughts before crawling out from beneath the ship, and up into it, making his way into the cockpit. 

Thank god, they had guns. 

Thor's hands ached from the burns, but that did not stop him from delivering a fairly nasty punch to the Troll's jaw, shooting electricity through the giant before Thor was once again grabbed by his calves, although this time he was not thrown. He was slammed into the ground, again and again and again, just as the hulk had done on sakaar. Although this time, the troll did not stop until Thor had gone limp. 

Then, he tossed him at the ship. Loki, quite the pilot, had managed to get the ship in the air within record time, though the guns were a different story. When the thunder god had been chucked at the windshield, Loki had simply swerved to the left to avoid the impact, and then shoved his arm into the gun control, unleashing a flurry of lasers at the troll. The beast attempted to shield himself, although soon enough realized there would be no shielding himself from such an attack. The lasers would not kill him, no, but because Loki was persistent enough with the painful attack, the troll gave up and decided perhaps it'd be best to retreat. 

With the troll underground, Loki landed the ship once again, hopping out of the cockpit and landing in the fresh snow. "Thor!" He called, "Get your sorry ass into the ship!" 

No response. 

"Thor! I'm not afraid to leave without you!" 

Loki waited, hands on his hips. Yet, there was still no response. 

Cursing under his breath, Loki crossed his arms and ventured deeper into the snow. "Thor? Are you dead?" 

The blizzard had stopped, and without the cloudy grey sky and the constant snow, the sky was a light blue and it was extremely bright, two moons visible in the sky, along with a star. 

It didn't take long for him to find him. Ten minutes at the most. It wasn't like there was much ground to cover. Thor was on his back, lying in the snow, motionless. For a short, yet still terrifying moment, Loki thought the king of Asgard had been slain, though it became obvious he was still living when he came closer, the chest of the man rising and falling rather shakily. He was not dead, although unconscious and most likely badly injured. Of course. Stupid Thor had to go fight the stupid troll. 

"Oh, Brother..." Loki found himself sighing, looking up at the sky before he shifted his gaze back down at his KO'd brother. "I suppose I have to drag you back to the ship now, don't I? Ugh, everyone is going to blame me for this."


	10. Chapter ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Swallowing his pride, Loki stays by Thor’s side at all times, looking after the wounded king.

Thor's headache was one of nightmares, pounding and painful, the lights stabbing him every time he opened his eyes. His head hurt, his hands hurt, his whole body hurt- yet, when he noticed Loki by his side, none of that seemed to matter.

"Brother..." he muttered, still looking quite out of it. "Is the troll dead...?"

Loki almost smiled. "No. But none of that matters now, Thor. What matters is that the king of Asgard is in fairly bad condition."

"What do you mean...? I feel... completely fine." Thor almost laughed, it was an obvious lie.

They were not in their shared quarters, no- instead, the make-shift infirmary. Thor had suffered from hypothermia and a fairly bad concussion, and multiple physical injuries, including the burns to his hands.

Speaking of Thor's hands- one was in Loki's. Thor didn't notice, at first, but soon enough it came to his realization that Loki was holding one of his hands, carefully unwrapping the gauze around the burn, setting it aside before smearing a cool salve over the blisters on his palm.

"How's your head?"

"Hurts. I've got a headache. The light is painful." Thor muttered, making sure to keep his eyes on the man beside him and what he was doing. "Aren't you supposed to be volunteering...?"

"They gave me a day off, because of your state." Loki whispered, unwrapping some fresh bandages. Once he was finished, the man dimmed the light with a flick of his wrist. "Better?"

"Mmm... somewhat." Thor tried to lift an arm to rest it over his forehead, and although he was sore and it hurt to move it, he managed to do so, looking at his brother with the narrow field of vision he had left. "I'm... surprised you're here..." he muttered, giving a bit of a yawn before wincing and squeezing his eye shut as Loki began to wrap his hand up once again. "That's too tight, loosen it off."

For once, Loki listened to him, and unwrapped what he had done so far to redo it a bit looser, although with a bit of a scowl on his face. "Is that any better?"

"Yes, thank you."

The small victories were what made Thor smile the most, with his brother. Loki was rather unamused by Thor's grin.

"What's so funny that you've sported such a grin, Brother?"

“Nothing, Loki. I... I simply remembered what you look like with breasts.” A lie, though a fairly good coverup.

“Say what you will, though I think I look rather beautiful as a woman.”

Just like that, a glitter of green rolled over him and suddenly he seemed almost smaller, his fairly tight clothing revealing breasts and a cinched waist. Upon his porcelain-white face were lips as red as a bloodstain, fuller than normal.

When Loki let the illusion fade, Thor was almost a bit startled, coming to a rather shocking realization.

Loki normally altered his appearance to appear more masculine. But like this, in a small room with only his brother, he’d let it all fall down.

Thor was surprised he’d never noticed it before. It wasn’t hard to see- Loki had a rather gender-neutral look, and so around others he altered his appearance to appear far more stereotypically manly-looking than he was.

He was Loki, and always would be. Loki, with the high cheekbones and the delicate curves, a strong yet lithe body. With a face as white as a clay mask and lips as red as a bloodstain, ones that Thor would love to bruise with kisses. With a knife in one hand and magic in the other, Loki was both, a warrior and a sorcerer, a man and a woman, Thor’s love yet enemy. He was good, yet evil. He was Loki.

“Do you love men, or women, or both?” It was a rather sudden question, startling coming from Thor, who had previously been very quiet.

Loki paused before he gave something that wasn’t quite an answer. “Haven’t we had this conversation before?”

“Yes.” Thor almost chuckled, the light in his eye one that was true and happy. “At the bar, what was it, last night? The night before? My sense of time seems to have slipped away from me.”

Loki shrugged. “I don’t recall when exactly we visited that bar... but I do remember you attempting to seduce a barmaid.”

“Only for you to stop me, Brother, as usual.”

“We sleep in the same room, Thor, I was trying to avoid having to deal with listening to you two while I was trying to sleep.” Though small, a smile appeared on Loki’s lips. “You’re King of Asgard now, Thor. You can’t bed anyone who wanders across your path, no matter how aroused you are.”

It was a small thing, an unconscious one, but Thor noticed it. Loki’s sultry green eyes had made their way down to Thor’s crotch as he’d said it, although quickly diverted themselves to the knife he was spinning between his fingers once he had finished speaking.

“Oh, so you’re my royal cockblock, Brother?”

“Precisely. You will not have a barmaid as the queen of Asgard.” Loki’s words were firm, and true. Thor definitely wasn’t going to be having anymore one night stands.

When Thor attempted to sit up, Loki did not stop him, and so the thunderer took his time to get somewhat upright, leaning against the headboard.

“Loki...” he muttered, so weak and quiet, quite pitiful. Pitiful enough for Loki’s heart to thump in his chest, and move close enough to perch on the side of the bed quite hesitantly.

Thor was obviously quite drained and tired. He was pale, sore, and his headache still pounded quite violently, his hands shaky and his bandaged palms throbbing painfully. Still recovering from hypothermia, and a concussion, and getting beat up pretty bad, it was a miracle he’d stayed away as long as he had.

“Sleep if you must... I’ll be here when you awaken.” Loki found himself whispering, a hand reaching up to check his temperature with the back of his hand. “Rest. You’re in bad shape, Thor...”

A large and gentle hand on the small of Loki’s back, and a shiver went down the trickster’s spine. He found himself relaxing into his touches.

“Come closer, Brother... tell me, what has happened while I have been resting and such?”

As Thor attempted to make quiet conversation, Loki’s heart leapt into his throat. This was familiar. Too familiar. Where had he seen this before?

Thor’s eyes were gentle yet held a certain heat that made Loki’s stomach do flips. Oh, god. That smile was deceiving.

Always the same. The gentle touches, quiet conversation, happy smiles and yet sultry eyes. Thor was predictable. Too predictable. He had seen this behaviour before, with the barmaid, with Jane Foster, with Lady Sif.

Thor was flirting. It may have been unconscious, however, Thor was definitely flirting. He was acting the exact same way he did when he wanted someone.

“Not much, Brother.” Loki whispered, though his mind was elsewhere. This can’t be right, Loki found himself thinking. He can’t want _me_. He must want something _from_ me.

Thor’s gentle hand pressing into the small of his back only seemed to lure him closer, and suddenly, Loki was very much aware of how Thor was able to bed so many women. Thor had always seemed to use the same technique, and as much as Loki had rolled his eyes, it always worked. Without fail. Thor was the perfect mix of lovably adorable and sexily agressive.

“You need your sleep.” Loki insisted, and found himself leaning down to press a kiss to Thor’s cheek before slipping from his grip, rather daintily taking a seat in the wooden chair by his bedside.

“Mmm... Maybe. Perhaps I’ll try... will you fetch me some water, Brother...?”

A snap of Loki’s fingers, and water appeared- without the glass. It dropped straight on to Thor’s face, leaving him sputtering and coughing.

The trickster smiled. “Is your thirst quenched, Brother?”

Once Thor managed to stop coughing, he uttered, “Enough with your tricks, Loki... you’re being mean.”

“I know.”

A short silence, and the water seemed to evaporate, leaving Thor dry within seconds.

“Goodnight, I suppose?” Thor yawned, stretching a bit with a sleepy smile. 

Loki nodded, not saying a word. With a flick of his wrists, the lights were out, and Thor was tucked in rather snugly, comfortable and fairly happy in his bed.

Though Loki would never admit to it, Thor felt a gentle hand take hold of his own before he was whisked off to sleep.


	11. Chapter eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one’s kinda short and shitty, but basically, Loki’s back volunteering again.

"Hello Mr. Loki!" Albin's voice was almost surprised, his grin wide and his arms held out even wider as he ran at the trickster. 

Loki was very much caught off guard by the child, who wrapped his little arms around his knees and squeezed them tight, giving him a tight hug. It was almost enough to make the trickster smile. "Goodmorning, Albin. I apologize for having been away a lot recently... I've been quite busy. The King of Asgard is a very problematic man." 

"The- the king is your brother, yes?" The little boy looked up at him with big eyes, so dark they were comparable to the night sky, so beautiful and breathtaking that even Loki had to take a moment and try to focus before he could properly converse with him. 

"Well... yes, I suppose so. Technically, I'm a prince." Loki said it with a gentle smile as Albin grabbed his finger and lead him to their little corner where they always sat and read. 

Today, however, was different. Because there was no noise, no bustle of children playing, no clunking and clanging of toys. There were three children, along with Albin- four in total. A stark difference from the usual ten or fifteen. 

"Where did the rest of the children go, Albin?" 

"Left." The boy didn't seem to concerned with it, looking through the small bookcase for a book they had yet to read. 

"Left? What do you mean by left, Albin?" 

"People came and took them." 

Oh, yes. It was then that Loki remembered this wasn't just some daycare. This was the orphanage. And Albin was one of the last children left in it, the rest having been adopted. 

"Is Thor really tall?" Albin asked, picking up a book with green letters all along the front. It's in a language that even Loki doesn't comprehend. 

Loki almost laughed. "I... yes, I suppose so. But I am the taller one. And the intelligent one. And the most attractive." 

"Is it fun?" Albin asked, sitting down on a beanbag chair, "Having a brother? 

That was a hard question. Loki gave a bit of a sigh as he sat down beside the little Albin. "At times, yes. However It's an especially difficult life when you're adopted and your father doesn't treat you equally." He looked around at the few other children before he continued, "I only ever wanted to be Thor's equal... my mother saw us as such, and loved us both the same. But our father played favourites. As a consequence, I lived many years in my Brother's shadow."

"What does consequence mean?" 

"A consequence is... a result, especially a bad one." Loki's smile returned for a fleeting moment as Albin opened his little book. "An example of a consequence would be if you eat too many sweets, and have a stomach ache because of it." 

"That doesn't sound like fun." 

It was then that the door was opened, and Loki glanced up at who had entered before quickly turning his back to the man.

Thor stood in the doorway, looking around the tiny orphanage before starting to make his way over to Loki, dressed in simple, comfortable, midgardian-esque clothes. 

"Brother," he greeted, nodding to the man, before his attention was directed to Albin, who still remained sitting in his little bean bag chair, focused more on his book than anything else. 

He knelt before the little boy, which seemed to get his attention. Albin was suddenly rather shocked, the book falling from his lap as he practically jumped to his feet, "Y-you're the king!" 

Thor almost laughed at that, and Loki scowled. 

"Yes, yes... I am the king of Asgard, but you, my little friend, may call me Thor." 

Loki couldn't help but roll his eyes, crossing his arms and keeping his eyes anywhere but on Thor or Albin. The few other children were staring, everyone in the room watching the king of Asgard speak ever so softly with the little boy. 

"Do you remember your parents, Albin?" 

Albin shook his head. "My mum and dad left me with the caretakers when I was little. The caretakers are my parents now." 

"Do you want parents, or a parent? A person who looks after you, cares for you..." Thor trailed off with a smile, and Loki's heart almost stopped. He could see exactly where this was going. 

"Thor," he warned, though the man simply held up a hand to quiet him. 

"I know of a family... a family which needs something- or someone- to bring them together again." The thunderer reached out and placed an especially gentle hand on Albin's shoulder. The boy seemed confused by Thor's statement. 

Loki saw exactly what the damn king was planning on doing. And so, soon enough he was on his feet, a firm hand grabbing Thor by the hair. No matter how short or long it was, it was always an easy way to get him under control. Though the guards in the room were definitely paying attention now, Loki didn't seem to notice as he dragged his brother into one of the back rooms, slamming the door and shoving the man up against the wall. 

"Thor Odinson, you are not going to adopt a child!" 

"And just why not?" Thor was almost laughing, his smile bright and his eye even brighter, seemingly ignoring the large hand around his throat. 

"You're unable to even take care of yourself, how are you supposed to raise a child? You are such an oaf!" Loki straight up punched him, though it was fairly weak, hitting his pectoral muscle and doing very little else. "You literally just inherited the throne, like, three days ago at the most. Learn to deal with your kingly duties and such before you go off adopting all these children. As much as... as much as I like Albin, we can't take care of him properly with the way things are now." 

Thor opened his mouth to say something in return, only for him to close it, then open it again, rendered speechless. It pissed him off.

"You hold a good argument, Brother..." he uttered, teeth barred. 

"What made you think adopting a child would be a good idea, Thor?" Loki practically demanded, stepping back to cross his arms. He was fairly surprised by the spontaneity in his brother's actions.

The king shrugged. "I like children." 

"Well, I don't. Did you ever think about that?" 

"You like that child," Thor pointed out, "The one with eyes as black as night." 

Loki practically growled at that. "I enjoy his presence. That doesn't mean I'd like to raise him. I occasionally find joy in being around certain children- some can be fairly endearing. That does not mean I want my own." 

Thor gave a sigh, still standing against the wall with his arms crossed. "I... In that case, I shall wait until we have properly gotten Asgard up and running again before we get a child." It was a rather defeated mumble, barely audible. 

"Good... let's go to the bar after my shift, I'm in need of a drink."


	12. Chapter twleve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once again at the bar, The boys and play a game that doesn’t end very well.

"That was a stupid idea." 

"I think you've told me that enough times by now, Brother." Thor grumbled, waving down the barmaid and ordering another two mugs of mead. "I wanted something that would bring us closer... as close as we were when we were children." 

"Thor, when we were children I used to pointedly avoid you. I stabbed you if you got too close to me. Or, just for fun.” Loki gladly took another mug of mead, taking a long swig before he met the eye of his brother. "We're closer now than we've probably ever been." 

Thor allowed the conversation to lapse into silence as he took a long drink from his mug, before he set it down and gave his brother a smile. "I have a challenge for you, Brother. And it shall not prove as easy as it seems." 

Loki narrowed his eyes at the thunderer. "What sort of challenge?"

"Whomever gets a kiss first, wins." 

The trickster raised an eyebrow, his interest peaked. "Explain."

"It's simple- whomever gains a kiss first, wins. A kiss from anyone in this bar. The only rules are; no bribery, and the person must be fairly sober. If the person you kissed is drunk off his ass, it does not count. Oh, and you can’t initiate it. Your partner must.” Thor's grin was wide and confident, which pissed Loki off beyond belief.

"The game is rigged. The people of Asgard fear me." 

"Since when have our games ever been fair, Loki?" The thunderer downed the rest of his mead, flashing a grin before giving his brother a playful punch to the shoulder. "Allow the game to commence! Best of luck, brother." 

And with that, Thor was off, pretending to bump into a pretty young lady with long, dark hair, then apologizing for his mistake. God, he was so predictable. 

Loki stood slowly, glancing around the bar in search of a target. As soon as he finished his mead, his eyes lit up, having spotted a strong, powerful looking man whom was seated at the bar, his blond hair pulled up into a bun behind his head. The man was drinking beer, it looked like. 

With smooth, quiet movements, Loki slid on to the stool beside him, the man noticing him out of the corner of his eye. 

The man looked down at his beer, before turning his head to properly look at the trickster. "Good evening, your highness." His voice was deep, and he seemed rather tired, taking another swig of his drink. 

"No need for formalities... I am Loki. And you are...?" Noticing the man's drink was near empty, Loki waved over a barmaid and ordered him another. 

"Grim. Though, I can promise you, I'm not as Grim as I may seem," The man almost smiled. "Thank you... what have I done to earn a beer from the prince of Asgard?" 

"Well, first of all, you didn't get up and run when I sat down," Loki almost laughed, his smile bright and true. This new man was rather adorable, with bright green eyes and a buff figure, beautiful blond hair tied back into a bun. 

Grim cracked a smile, meeting Loki's eyes with his own. "It's wonderful to meet you... Loki." 

"And I you," Loki lifted his own new drink as almost a toast with the man, and they clinked their mugs together before Loki took a sip of his own. "Tell me, Grim... have you been with a man before?" 

At that, the man's green eyes flickered up and down Loki's body, one which looked rather masculine at the moment, with wide shoulders and a powerful chest. 

"I have not," he admitted, though with a lick of his lips, he whispered quite heavily, "But I'll try anything once." He took a swig or his beer, a smirk on his lips as he gave a gentle sigh. 

Sliding off his barstool, Loki took a few swaying steps closer, suppressing a shiver as he felt a large hand on the small of his back, just as Thor had done to the maiden he was currently attempting to seduce. Grim's hand, however, did not stay at the small of his back, instead making it's way downward to grab firm hold of Loki's ass, the trickster barely able to suppress the squeak that attempted to leave him. The hand did not stay there either, eventually snaking around his hip to pull him close to his body. Loki able to feel the outline of his strong body through his clothes, his beautiful biceps and triceps, powerful pectorals, and a curious hand of deft hand of Loki’s soon felt hard abs underneath his thin shirt. 

“Do you like what you feel...?” Grim practically purred, his lips hot against the cool skin of Loki’s throat, the trickster tipping his head back at the touches, exposing more pale flesh for Grim to lay his lips upon. 

Loki’s heart was racing, his hands shaky and his knees almost weak as he leaned into his newfound partner, gentle lips sucking and kissing up his neck, leaving bruises wherever he went. 

“Yes...” he found himself whispering it rather breathlessly, a hand sliding down Grim’s body, a gasp almost threatening to escape at the feel of the sizeable bulge between his strong thighs. 

"Does a handsome man such as yourself have a woman in his life?" Loki whispered, leaning close to Grim's tanned face, making sure to glance down at his lips now and then. 

With that, Grim couldn't help but grin, standing and using the arm around Loki's waist to lead him in the direction of the private rooms. "No woman nor man could ever compete with a prince such as yourself..." 

They entered a dark hallway, and upon spotting the private rooms, Loki's blood went cold. Thor. He was the whole reason he was doing this. This stupid challenge. Well... he might as well go the extra mile, rub it in that even with a disadvantage, Loki was superior.

A strong grip on his shoulder stops him, however. A large hand that prickles his cool skin with hot sparks as Loki's yanked around to face an electric blue eye, practically boiling over with rage. "What are you doing, Loki?" 

"Your highness!" Grim practically sputters, stumbling away, though Thor doesn't even acknowledge his presence. 

Thor was livid, his jaw set and his voice deathly calm. "Answer me, Brother." 

"I was winning!" Loki hissed, and jerked back, out of the man's grip. "Come, Grim, let's-"

"No. No, you were not winning, you were going too far, way too far." This time, when Thor grabbed him, it caught the trickster off guard, and Thor managed to manhandle him deeper into the hallway, disappearing around the corner so they could have some peace and quiet, away from the busy bar and the rather scared looking grim. 

Loki struggles against him with all his might, kicking and even trying to bite, swearing up a storm, though when he's forced up against the wall and his back collides roughly with the metal paneling, he's winded and effectively silenced, Thor taking the opportunity to grab both his arms and hold them above his head. 

"E-Explain yourself...!" Loki manages to hiss, still catching his breath after being winded. "I was winning, why did you-"

"You were going to let him bed you," Thor practically growled. 

"I was going I have sex with that man, yes." Loki was almost surprised by how thick-headed his brother could be at times. "I was going to let him use me as much as he-"

Thor grabbed him by the collar, pulling him away from the wall only to slam him back into it, winding him again, his head spinning quite violently. 

"I'd watch that silver tongue of yours." Thor hissed, "Now, explain to me why you thought it was allowed to do that." 

"You only stated three rules, foolish brother, and I respected them all. There should have been nothing wrong with me taking-" 

Thor cuts him off, his words hushed yet still absolutely full of rage. "That doesn't mean I'm going to allow my baby brother to be fucked by a stranger. What if he hurt you? What if he tried to kill you?" 

"I'm not a helpless little baby like you seem to think, Thor," Loki manages to growl, “I’m an adult. I’ve killed before, Brother, I’ve sucked a cock, I’ve gotten love-bites, and I’ve been fucked into the ground! There’s nothing you can protect me from anymore, so kindly fuck off! You lost your chance to be a supportive and protective brother a century ago at least!” 

And with that, he spit in Thor’s face. 

That was the last straw for the thunder god. And as he wiped his cheek with the back of his hand, he grabbed Loki's collar in the other and dragged him out of the bar just like that. The trickster's struggling was useless- Thor's grip on the front of his shirt was like iron, and Loki found his cheeks flushing red as the people in the bar stopped and stared, watching as Thor seemed to effortlessly storm out, dragging his baby brother by the collar, kicking and cursing the whole way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this is suuuuper out of character but I’m too lazy to go over it again lmao.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor is angry at Loki for trying to take a stranger to bed, and Loki is angry at Thor for being so overprotective.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this at like 3 am, so if it’s shit, that’s why

“Unhand me, you brainless Neanderthal!” Loki practically bellowed, kicking and struggling against the hand that gripped his collar so tight. “Thor, you boneheaded cretin, get your filthy ape-like hands off of me or I swear you will never see the light of day again!”

Finally, Loki managed to slip from his grip and fall to the hard, cold floor of their room, the and thunderer is locking the door behind them.

Loki was on his feet within seconds, in full battle armour and helmet, a knife in hand as he lunged at his brother, though he was deflected rather easily, the knife flung from his fingers, clattering to the floor as Thor held him down by the throat and pulled out a familiar little device, pressing it to the side of Loki’s neck. The trickster gave a hiss, although then, he fell still, glaring up at the man above him. “You promised me you wouldn’t do this, Thor.”

“I did no such thing.” Thor’s words were cold, harsh, and he held up the golden little remote for show. “This, is mine. And I will use it when I see fit.”

When Loki made a lunge for it, Thor pressed the little button on the side, and the trickster fell back, shaking rather uncontrollably from the constant shocks and the toxins the little device in his neck delivered. Thor presses the button once again, and Loki fell still, panting for breath, eyes wide with almost fear as he stared up at his brother, who now practically had him on a leash.

“This is madness,” the trickster panted, remaining where he was on the ground as Thor stood, almost grinning down at the little man.

“You need not be so dramatic, brother. This is merely a bit of insurance.” He promised, tossing it up in the air and catching it with ease. “Do as I say, and you will be completely unharmed.”

“Do as you say? What is this, some kind of-“ Loki cut off when he noticed Thor’s finger move back on to the button, just waiting for the trickster to put a hair over the line.

A usually deft and well-controlled hand now shook as he reached up and placed two fingers against the cool metal of the mechanism in the side of his throat. “Why?” Loki practically whispered, suddenly rather confused. “Why are you so opposed to something that has nothing to do with you? It’s my life, I...”

“You’re cockblocking me, and so I’m cockblocking you.” Thor said it with a smile, once again tossing up the device before catching it skillfully. “As a Prince of Asgard, it is far too dangerous for you to be spending the night with common folk.”

“As a Prince of Asgard, I say you’re a hypocrite, and this is bullshit.” Loki hissed, finding the courage to sit upwards as slow as possible, making sure to send a steely glare in Thor’s direction. The two fingers he’d pressed to the machine embedded in his skin frosted over and turned a light blue as the trickster tried a new strategy, focusing some of his seidr on perhaps freezing the machine and the toxins in it. His attempts were fruitless, however, and so he dropped his hand, looking rather defeated. “Of all times you chose to be overprotective of me... now? It is too late to shield me from the horrors of the universe, Thor.”

Overprotectiveness, sure. Definitely not jealousy. Thor had convinced himself that the jealousy he’d felt had simply been worry, or some other emotion like that. He was not acting out of jealousy, no, he was acting as a concerned brother. Yes. Absolutely. 100%.

This seemed odd. Loki could sense that something was off. Thor was being far too extreme. This wasn’t like him at all... not the silly Thor he’d had to deal with all his life.

When Loki stood, a green glow rolled over his skin, and rather than his usual green garb, he was now clothed in something far different, loose and silky green clothing, his shirt almost half-unbuttoned. His hair was wavy and rather voluminous, as it had been when he had been in the dungeons of Asgard. “I suppose if I am to be held captive I might as well dress for the part.” He practically growled, flopping down on the bed, grabbing a book from the bedside table. And with that, he ignored Thor’s presence, more than irritated with the man. He read in silence, laying on his stomach, pretending his brother did not exist.

Thor stuffed the golden little remote into his pocket and sighed as he watched his brother for a moment, before an electric blue eye had slid down to that pert little ass of his, and Thor had stumbled into the bathroom, doing his best to ignore the various thoughts that had flooded his head. Upon closing the door, the thunder god pressed his back to it, removing the eyepatch which covered the mess that was his eye as he gave a heavy, tired sigh. Oh, how he was conflicted. He felt something for Loki, that he knew. And he’d definitely felt something rather extreme when he’d seen him and that oaf together, heading towards the private rooms.

What had been his name? No, it did not matter. That man was inconsequential. What had been of importance was the fact that Loki was taking a stranger to bed, Loki was going to let a stranger touch him and use him as he wanted. The game had been for a kiss, not who could get fucked into the floor first. Thor had felt anger, when he’d seen Grim touch the little trickster, place his hands where he shouldn’t have. Thor was livid when he’d noticed them stumbling their way towards the private rooms. And even though he had acted out of anger, he felt no regret. In fact, he was quite satisfied with these results. Loki was under his control. Loki was under his control. The thought sent a shutter down his spine, and he couldn’t help but think of what I’d be like if he had the willpower to use it against him. What I’d be like to take advantage of this. What I’d be like to fuck him into the mattress, pushing for all the depth he could get as the trickster begged for more, more, more.

But he knew that could not happen. The people of Asgard did not approve of Loki even being on the ship, how would they approve of him making him his lover? It took a moment for Thor to realize that he was half hard just from his thoughts. God, it’d been so long since he’d had a good fuck, but with his palms fairly burnt, it wouldn’t be worth it to try and jack off.

The fact that he was unable to properly satisfy his needs angered him, though he did not act out of anger this time around. This time, he pulled off his shirt and kicked off his trousers, turning the shower water as cold as he could possibly get it, hoping that it would ease his erection and cool his anger.

 _What now, Thor?_ He found himself thinking, running a hand though his wet hair as water beat down on him from above. _What’s your next move to be? You want what is impossible, so, what are you to do?_  That night, Thor found himself realizing multiple things- that he had acted out of jealousy in the bar, that he was in love with the Jotun Prince of Asgard, and that he wanted Loki more than he wanted anything else. And he had to do something about it.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gay.

When Thor emerged from the bathroom, he was clothed in a towel and nothing else, the deep V in his hips very much visible, along with the strong curves of his body. He was a muscular, and very attractive man, that he knew- and he looked strikingly similar to Grim. 

When Loki had turned his head to glare at the man, he found himself unable to stop the hard look from softening. Oh, god, not again. 

Loki was well in control of his emotions. Now, however, he was not so much in control of his body, especially not when Thor dropped the towel as he went in search of new clothes. 

The uncomfortable press of his hardening cock against the mattress was one that startled him, taking the trickster by surprise. Soon enough, he hid any sign of it with seidr- however, he couldn’t make it just magically go away completely. Though it was hidden from view, it was still there. 

He was hard. And by the time Thor actually had some pants on, Loki was completely rigid, pulsing uncomfortably underneath him. Thank god he was still laying on his stomach, although his book was along forgotten and now he was simply watching Thor. 

“And here I thought you hated it when I undressed in front of you,” Thor grinned, catching the trickster’s eye. with a raised eyebrow. “You sure seemed to claim so. Yet look at you now, watching me dress myself.” 

Loki hissed something incomprehensible, before turning back to his book. Stupid Thor. Making him hard. Now he was uncomfortable. Loki was quick, however, very quick, with coming up with a plan on how to take care of it. 

“I have a request,” Loki started, looking over his shoulder at the man once again. He tossed the book he’d been reading at the blond oaf, who caught it with ease.

“Which would be...?”

“Fetch me another book, preferably one with decent content, and in English, though Norse is fine as well. And hurry. I’m antsy.” 

Thor couldn’t help but grin. “Aight. I may take a while, however, as I must speak with Heimdall and Valkyrie on our search for a hospitable planet.” The thunderer pulled on a shirt, before nodding to his brother and exiting the room, closing the door behind himself. 

Loki made sure he had heard Thor’s footsteps disappear down the hall before he’d slid down his silk trousers, rolling on to his back as his cock sprung free rather elegantly, standing tall and proud. It was long and pale, reasonably thick with precum already beading at his tip. A picture perfect cock. 

It hadn’t been very long since Loki had last been hard like this. While at the bar he was turned on, sure, but when he was on his knees, in a position of submission as he pleasured the man above him, he’d been stiff between his legs while his tongue and lips worked their magic. The grandmaster had neglected Loki’s pleasure, focused on his own, and yet somehow, that made it even more thrilling, his first truly sexual experience with anyone other than himself. 

A shudder shook him at the shoulders as he wrapped his cool hand around his thick cock, a quick and simple spell coating his palm in oil to make it far easier for himself, his cock slicked up fast, eyes fluttering shut. 

It was a rare occasion that Loki pleasured himself so, touching his cock until he saw stars and he was satisfied. This time, however, it was a whole new kind of rare, as he did something he’d never tried in the past. 

While his legs instinctively spread, a hand slipped down and felt it, the now dripping wet part of him he’d always tried to ignore. 

After seeing Thor’s cock, he couldn’t help but think about what it’d feel like to have something like that inside of him. 

While Loki’s cock was tall and proud, hard and dripping as he stroked it, his cunt grew more and more pliant as he slipped in a finger, then two, his heart pounding and his skin suddenly flushed with heat as he touched himself. He had once been ashamed to have it, as it was proof of his Jotun routes, however, at the moment, Loki found himself quite glad he had it. 

The little trickster’s mind was flooded, with thought of pleasure and yet one figure always remained the same- Thor. Thor, such a pretty sight to see, one which made his cunt throb and his cock hard. 

“Thor...” but a mere whisper, almost a prayer, which had slipped from his lip as he’d thrusted two fingers deep enough into his heat for his milky white thighs to tremble. 

He’d always imagined it rough. With Thor’s strong body holding him down and taking him as hard and as deep as he could, using him as he wanted. Yet now, with two fingers in his cunt, he found himself imagining things being slow, gentle. With Thor’s strong hands holding him close, his body heat comforting and his thrusts deep yet slow, powerful enough for Loki to see stars, sweet nothings whispered in his ear as he’s touched and taken care of. 

“Thor...” Again, the name slipped from his lips, sweat beading on the trickster’s skin. His cock was sensitive, but his cunt was a whole other level of sensitive, deft yet now shaky hands working quickly and efficiently. Stroking his hard cock as precum and oil coated his fingers, while his other hand thrusted into himself the best he could, he took two fingers as deep as he dared. 

Loki dared to dream what it’d be like with Thor inside of him instead. The stretch would be incredible, judging by the size of the man’s cock while flaccid. Loki had never seen Thor while he was hard, yet now, he found himself wanting it more than Anything else. He wanted it, filling him to the brim with inch after inch of strong and powerful cock, rubbing and pushing and pumping him full, until he’d be pushed over the edge. 

Loki was close, now, he could feel it, in the way his cock pulsed and his cunt contracted around him. He was so, so close. 

What always seemed to get him off the most was the idea of him being shoved against the wall, held up by Thor’s strength, a cock deep in his body and his arms thrown around the thunderer’s neck as steady thrust after steady thrust into his cunt leaves him breathless, slamming into the paneling each time the king of Asgard gives another rough push into his little body, before there’s a hiccup in his steady thrusting and there’s a burst of heat inside the Jotun, as Thor fills him to the brim with come. 

The image sends Loki right over the edge. Heat headed straight for his groin, his cunt contracting around his fingers as his cock shot off pump after pump of come, a gasp leaving his lips along with a rather pathetic and desperate, “Thor-!” 

Unknown to the now sated trickster, however, is that the man whom belonged to the name had been lurking outside the door for some time, listening in on the action with a new book in hand.

It was then that Thor realized why Loki hated it when the thunderer stripped in front of him. Because it turned the little sorcerer on. It turned him on beyond belief. 

“Thor...” Loki practically whined, his fingers slipping from his now dripping cunt. He took a moment to look at his hands, his left with slick coating two fingers and his right covered with oil and seed. 

God, he was humiliated. It had felt good, sure, but now it just reminded him that he was a Jotun, a runt of s frost giant. And most of all, he was intersex, with both a cunt and a cock. He hated it. As much as it felt wonderful to be filled, he wished he’d been born without a cunt. He wanted to be a man. He wanted to be a man and nothing more.

As if it was nothing, he flicked his wrist and every little bit of evidence of what he had done disappeared into thin air, leaving him clean and dry, pulling his silk trousers up with ease. Though he was satisfied and now flaccid, he also had now rekindled the self-hatred he had forgotten about completely.

As he heard the click of the lock in the door, Loki gave a huff of relief. Perfect timing. He thanked the norns that Thor hadn’t come back sooner. 

When the Thunderer entered, his cheeks were flushed pink as he tossed a brand new book at his brother. The trickster caught it with ease, sitting up on the bed he’d been laid across. “What have you brought me, Brother?”

“It’s called Romeo and Juliet... Heimdall informed me it is rather famous on earth.” Thor mumbled, looking rather serious and almost a bit uncomfortable, cheeks still flushed red. 

Loki knew something was up, setting the book aside before he sat forward, dread forming in the pit of his stomach. Oh, god.

“Why are you acting so strange?” Loki demanded, losing hold of his silver tongue for a moment, voice almost quivering with panic that he was desperately trying to keep down. 

“I was unaware you fantasized about me while you touch yourself, Brother.” Thor’s words almost sounded tense from how hard he was trying not to laugh. “Is that not incestuous?” 

Loki was thrown completely off kilter. “T-That’s quite the accusation, Thor. What are you getting at? I must say, I-I’m rather confused.” 

Thor found himself grinning, finally managing to turn his head, catching Loki’s eye with his own as he stepped closer to the bed, the trickster shrinking back instinctively. 

Loki’s heart was in his throat as he shifted closer to the headboard of the bed, sinking into the pillows to escape the rapidly approaching King as Thor crawled on to the bed, closer and closer and closer until Loki was pressed against the headboard and Thor was close, too close. Thor comes close enough to cage Loki with his body, both hands pressed to the headboard and his face close to that of the trickster’s. They’re practically breathing the same air, and Loki is not sure if he’s happy to note that he is hopelessly aroused by the proximity and boldness of his brother. 

“That’s quite the bold claim, Thor, considering you couldn’t stand the thought of me with another man.” Despite being completely off centre, it was still almost a little bit too easy for Loki to push his buttons. He reaches up and presses a hand flat on Thor’s chest, using most of his willpower to turn his gaze steely. “Release me, Brother, for I am sick of your meaningless accusations. You have no proof.” 

“Loki,” Thor growls, and Loki braces for some sort of attack, or for the familiar pain of the toxins and the electric shocks from the machine in his neck. Loki is completely thrown for a loop when he’s instead met with the forceful push of Thor’s lips, and the trickster finds himself gasping from pure shock, the Thunderer taking the chance he was given to slip his tongue past his lips, every movement hot and rough. 

Loki finds himself groaning against the thunderer as a knee is pressed between his legs and powerful hands hold his wrists against the headboard, the King’s beard scraping against his cheeks leaving him breathless and rather dizzy. 

The magical moment is cut short, however, when there’s a knock at the door, and a familiar voice yells through it, “Thor, you’re needed in the control room! Heimdall would like to speak with you.” It was the voice of Valkyrie, and Loki finds himself almost whining as Thor pulls away, slipping from the bed with a groan. 

Before he leaves, however, he turns back towards his brother, uttering a promise before he disappears out the door. 

“I’m not finished with you, trickster. I will have you tonight.”


	15. chapter fifteen

Loki, to say the least, was a bit disappointed. His lips were bruised from the rough kiss, his cheeks sensitive from the abrasiveness of Thor's beard- and he was half-hard. The fucking King of Asgard had just forced a kiss and then promised to fuck him, and Loki wasn't sure how he felt about that, but he knew that at the moment, he was somewhat disappointed. 

Sitting up against the headboard, Loki stayed there for a time, trying to process things, trying to understand what he was feeling, what to do next. 

Five minutes. Twenty. Forty-five. 

When he shifted from the bed, his movements were slow and shaky, and he allowed his facade to drop, his glamour, everything. Blue skin left frost everywhere it touched as he absentmindedly ghosted his fingers over some of the designs in the walls. 

Thor wanted to fuck him. Thor wanted to hold him down and feel every part of him that he'd never even let another person see before. Loki had barely ever let a man or woman touch him anywhere that could be deemed even slightly sexual, and For most of his life, he'd thought he was asexual or demisexual or something of the sorts.

But now... now, he wanted to be touched. Now, he wanted the King's large hands to hold him, those soft lips to leave marks over his chest and body, tongue teasing and his cock... oh, his cock... 

Loki growled at his own mind and out of newfound and sudden anger, grabbed a vase and flung it to the wall, watching it shatter and splatter strange green liquid about. "No," he said to himself, aloud, red eyes blazing with newfound frustration, "Thor will not invoke such feelings in me." 

Loki had always hated having emotions. Feeling lonely, stressed, anxious, depressed- all his life, happiness was a rare find. Emotions got in the way, and it was even worse when other people were able to make him feel things. Thor made him feel things he'd never felt before, and he hated it. Thor had control over him that no one in the past ever had. 

Because Thor could make him hard, Thor could make his heart pound in his chest, and his body respond in ways it never used to. Thor could make him smile with his stupid grin and his stupid ideas and his stupid puppy-dog like persona. Thor could make him angry, Thor could make him hate himself even more. 

Thor held so much power that Loki was now afraid. 

With a flick of his wrist, the vase was back together and filled with the strange green liquid, any sign of his rage-induced actions gone from the room. 

That's why he was shaking. Loki was scared. Thor held so much more power over him than anyone had in the past before, an exception being his mother. 

Loki's Jotun form was something he never showed anyone- he only ever returned completely to it when he felt he had to, or he was proving a point to Thor. Now was a time where he felt he needed to be in his rawest state. Now, there was no facade or glamour or anything. He was Loki, the rightful king of Jotunheim, a runt of a frostgiant, a prince of Asgard. With piercing red eyes and blue skin that was freezing to the touch, markings of a Jotun raised from it, narrow ridges of patterns across his body. With superhuman strength, durability, longevity, healing and physiology, along with immunity to the cold and extreme power when it came to ice and magic of the sort. Intersex, with a cock and a cunt and crippling self-hatred. He was Loki. The real, true Loki. 

And he was afraid. Afraid of Thor, of commitment, scrutiny, judgement, and most of all- allowing any of those fears to hold him back. 

He was still shaking, his hands trembling as he reached out and placed both of them against the window, looking out at the vast expanse of space before him. 

Who was he kidding? He was Loki. Loki of Jotunheim, Loki of Asgard, Odinson, Laufeyson. He'd been through a lot of shit. He'd tried to take over Midgard, almost succeeded, tried to take over Asgard twice, succeeded for a short amount of time. Destroyed Asgard. Helped save Asgard. So what if Thor made him feel things? He'd survived a fall from the bifrost and almost a year of torture at the hands of Thanos, he could handle feeling emotions every now and then. So what if the people of Asgard still feared and hated him? They'd only ever heard one side of the story. So what if Loki was a frostgiant? So what if he was intersex? 

So what?

It was then that the trickster decided that he would allow nothing to hold him back. 

He was Loki. 

And he was a badass. 

Thor could fuck him into a wall, and let all of Asgard know they were together, and none of it would matter. It didn't matter what anyone else thought. 

Asgard can go fuck itself. 

Loki does what he wants. 

And at the moment, he wanted nothing more than to fuck the King of Asgard. 

——————

Loki spent the next few hours back in his usual form, glamour and facade up as he searched for books and through the archives of the ship, looking for any and all information on Jotuns and their reproduction systems, as well as Asgardians and their reproductive systems. 

Whenever Loki was worried about something, he always did as much research on the topic as possible. And now, that coping mechanism came very much in handy. 

Asgardian's were strong, especially compared to Midgardians- a womb could form the perfect child no matter what, even if the carrier drank and partied during the 10 months of pregnancy. Complication rate during pregnancy was extremely slim, and premature births were at a low rate of 2.6%, compared to the midgardian rate of around 11.4%. An Asgardian's penis was, on average, 15% larger than the average midgardian penis, and Asgardian seed was strong, able to impregnate most species and races in the vast universe. However, there was no record of an Asgardian ever having a child with a Jotun. Ever. 

Jotüns were intersex- most took on the physique of a stereotypical male, with broad shoulders and slimmer hips, however, all had both a penis and vagina. Loki always changed his appearance to appear more masculine, but in reality, he had a rather gender-neutral look when it came down to it. He was a Jotun. With a functioning uterus and penis. 

Not much was known about Jotun biology- most of what Loki found were theories and hypotheses. Usually, the larger of the two would act as the sire, the smallest and healthiest being the birther. Frost giants did not have socially constructed genders, all going by he/him pronouns, and only took on the specific rolls of birther or sire during the reproduction and for an estimated year afterwards, until it became the entire house's responsibility to raise the child together, no specific person being favoured as parents. For royals, it worked differently- 

but at the moment, it didn't matter to Loki. He wanted to know more about the physicality. Should he have to worry about some sort of contraceptive? Surely Thor wouldn't allow Loki to top, no matter how badly the trickster wanted to. 

Hours and hours of research it took him to find a small portion of information buried in an old tome, one which finally had something to do with what he was looking for. 

"The Jotun, although with similar sex organs to that of the Aesir, can only reproduce with those of their own race, for various reasons, such as being unable to touch most warm-bodied species without inflicting immediate frostbite. A Frostgiant's womb is also different from that of an Aesir, and the sensitive egg will die upon contact with anything above freezing temperatures."

Loki gave a soft and grateful sigh, feeling rather enlightened and happy with the new knowledge. Despite his glamour and facade and such, Loki's body was still that of a frostgiant, and while he could alter his physicality, he wouldn't have to worry about any sort of unexpected pregnancy anytime soon. 

After he had finished with his research, he found himself preening, excitement in him as he showered and cleaned himself, tidying up the room and dressing in loose, easy to shed clothes. He hadn't eaten anything all day, a bad decision, really, but he couldn't help himself, his stomach turning with anticipation. 

When the doorknob gave it's recognizable click, however, he was filled with a sudden wave of anxiety, fear. "Thor?" He found himself uttering, his voice far higher than usual, almost shaky, a hand raising to touch the little device attached to the side of his neck. 

It was Thor, alright- and he looked like a complete mess. As soon as the door was closed, he was taking off his eyepatch, his hair messy and his face dirty, his armour damaged and a gash in his arm. "Good evening, Loki..." he sounded even worse than he looked, so drained and exhausted. 

"Oh, Thor, what have you done?" Anything he'd been thinking or feeling about before the man came in was gone completely. Now, the only thing he could think about was the weakened man sitting in the edge of the bed. "You fool, you're still recovering from the battle with the troll! What did you-..."

Thor raised a shaky hand, one that had fresh blood splattered over the palm of it, and Loki fell silent as it was used to cup the trickster's face, holding him ever so softly, as if he was made of precious porcelain. "I... went down to the surface of another planet, one with far more dangerous fauna... and flora, than the freezing planet with that troll." Thor looked beyond sad, "I brought along a few soldiers... I was the only one to return alive. You should have seen it, Loki, the monsters that planet held... this," he motioned to the gash in his arm, "Is from what appeared to be a dragon-like creature, covered in spikes sharp enough to cut Uru... I defeated it, if only after it killed my men." 

Loki felt a tug in his chest, and he took a few steps forward, unsure what to do. It took him a few moments of silence before he decided it would probably be best for Thor if he simply listened and tried to clean him up the best he could. "Let's get you fixed up, hm?" He whispered, fetching the medical supplies with a gentle look in his eyes. 

"Loki..." Thor's voice sounded odd, different. It took the trickster a moment before he realized that it was because the king was trying to avoid allowing his voice to crack. The Jotun stopped in his tracks once he did. 

"I don't ever want to lose you, Brother. You are all I have left." 

Loki was rather shocked, especially when he turned and saw Thor wiping away a tear, then another. "That's not true, and you know it." The trickster whispered, taking a few silent steps forward with the medical supplies, before kneeling before him, a sign of utter respect and submission he'd never willingly shown the man in the past. "You have Heimdall and the green man, and... a people to lead. I am not all you have left, Brother," he began to clean the blood from his arm, fixing up the wound, "But, allow me to make a promise I intend on keeping..." 

Loki had to gather himself, allowing them to lapse into silence to pick the perfect words, starting to clean the wound with a bit of alcohol, the thunderer stiffening at the touch. 

"Thor... son of Odin. My brother." Loki started, hands falling still for a moment as he spoke. "I love you more dearly than anyone. At some times, I may be envious... but never doubt my affection for you. I will be here for you... even if I seem to act out of self-preservation, never doubt that I will always want to keep you alive." 

Loki allowed his hands to fall back into his lap, looking up at the thunderer above him, eyes gentle and full of love and hope. "I love you, Thor... and no matter what happens, I will always be here for you... sometimes you'll just have to seek me out." 

Thor seemed to almost choke up, trembling as he reached out and grabbed Loki, quite forcefully yanking him close into a crushing hug. Loki struggled against it for a moment, before he found himself completely giving in, practically melting into him. He soon found himself wrapping his arms around him in return, squeezing tight. Thor was sweaty and slippery with blood, yet he was warm and comforting and god, bless him and his big lovable self. 

"What are you doing...?" Loki had attempted to say it in an annoyed, questioning tone, though it had come out more like a loving chuckle. 

"Giving you love and affection." 

Loki uttered, "Disgusting..." And yet when Thor made an attempt to pull away, the trickster squeezed him tighter, and growled, "Don't you dare let go of me, not ever again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its been like six years since I last wrote and tbh im not even sorry lmao infinity war broke me 
> 
> Anyway have this shithole of a chapter ;))) the end bit was 100% stolen from a twitter post I saw credit to @lokified yyyyuor welcum


	16. Chapter sixteen

When Thor awoke the next morning, his arm was as sore as it could be. Even though it was stitched up and wrapped tightly in bandages, it still hurt bad enough for it to wake him up when he accidentally rolled over on to it. 

He gave a groan, shifting and sitting up the slightest bit, his good arm reaching order to poke at the bandages, cringing at the pain. "Loki... do we have any painkillers...?"

No response. 

"Loki, wake up." Thor ordered, not bothering to look over at him until he was left with silence for another long moment. "Loki?" 

Beside him, the bed was empty, sheets and pillow left rumpled, showing definite signs that someone had slept there. Loki had left, and in his wake was the small, circular device that had previously been attached to the trickster's neck, placed delicately on the pillow, exactly where Loki knew it would be seen. 

It sent a simple message- Loki was not his bitch.

And no matter how hard Thor tried to make him one, he was far to slippery to be held down long enough.

Thor glanced around the room, and just as he'd expected, Loki was long gone. Probably volunteering or something.

Thor thought nothing of it, getting changed and brushing his hair, cleaning himself up and putting on civilian clothes for the first time in a long while. His quarters felt so lonely without the trickster, and so Thor soon enough found himself wandering down to the control room. 

The door slid open with a mechanical groan and he stepped inside the large room, grinning at the few people inside who turned at his entrance. 

"Morning, sleepy head. How was nap time?" Valkyrie uttered, having gone back to kicking at a piece of machinery that refused to work properly.

"My king," Heimdall greeted rather respectfully. 

Banner, who was on his back, laying underneath the control panel as he attempted to make alterations to certain features, had attempted to say something, although it had echoed and been muffled by the equipment enough that no one understood what he had said.

Thor clapped his hands together, grinning at the sight of his friends and the open space before them. "Alright! What are we to do today, Heimdall?" 

It was a large room, with many panels upon panels of controls and such, with a large window across the front, giving them a perfect view of what lay ahead. 

"It is your decision, your highness." Heimdall's smile was almost soft as he stood at attention, watching Thor enter the room and sit in the large chair  that overlooked what seemed like the whole galaxy.

The throne had been moved from its original spot in the giant main chamber, and that chamber had been made into a dining hall of sorts. Now, the throne sat in the control room, overlooking the universe. It was big, as was Thor, and it made him feel and look just as powerful as he actually was. 

"How's the scanning system coming, Banner?" Thor asked, leaning over the side of his throne to look back at the man who was currently crawling out from under a control panel,  his hair a mess, grease on his face. 

"We'll have to test it, but if I did everything right then we should be able to see what kind of planet it is and how much oxygen is in the atmosphere, that kinda stuff." The man did his best to readjust his clothes, still unused to Asgardian style garments, Even if he was only wearing a simple, short tunic and trousers. "If I did this right, then we might even be able to find out what's in the soil, element wise, that kinda specifics... and if there's any giant monsters like last time." 

Thor cringed at the memory, as did the rest of the people in the room. It was a true tragedy, what had happened to the men they'd lost the day before. Now, they'd decided they were not to go down to any planet's surface with an exploration team unless they were fairly sure it would be safe. There had been far too many accidents- from the troll, to the monsters on the planet they'd encountered the day before. 

"We're coming up on a planet now," Valkyrie stepped forward, making her way to Thor's throne, leaning against it as she pointed out towards a rapidly growing dot in front of them, "There's no record of it in our database, and we won't be able to scan it until we get close. It's big, far bigger than Asgard or Earth, even Sakaar. It's about the size of Neptune, one of the planets in Midgard's solar system." 

"How long until we arrive?" 

"About an hour," Heimdall chimed in, "Just enough time to collect men for an exploration team, if necessary." 

"Perfect!" Thor stands at that, satisfied with the information. "I will see to that, then." 

He'd begun his way towards the door, only to be stopped by Heimdall, moving slowly in front of him, blocking his path to the door. "Your highness, I... I must warn you. Loki is still not one to be trusted. I suggest choosing your team wisely." Heimdall's eyes were deep and golden, and sent a shiver down Thor's spine. 

"I'll take your warning under consideration, Heimdall. But I am king, and I will do as I see fit."

Heimdall was silent, maintaining steady, firm eye contact until he shifted past the king, taking a moment to stand beside him and say in a rather unyielding tone; "We are short on food supplies, Thor. No matter who you chose, be sure they will aid you on your quest to find more edible food matter and a possible place to inhabit. We will not last much longer." 

Thor froze up at that. How many people of Asgard were left? Three hundred, at the most? How could they already be almost out of food? It'd only been a few days, it felt like.

"How many days do we have left?" The room was silent, Thor's tone almost fearful. 

No response. Everyone seemed frozen, reluctant to let the words slip. 

"HOW MANY DAYS!" He bellowed, looking around at the frozen faces, eyes wide with fear, yet his voice was loud and angry.

"Four," Banner blurted out, and others glanced at him, while Thor seemed to freeze as the others had before. 

"F... four days...?" Thor uttered, his words tight. He cleared his throat, speaking louder and firmer this time, having composed himself. "Four days? Is there any way to lengthen that time? We may need more than just four days." 

"It... it is possible for us to stretch the supplies out far enough to last a month, however... that would require certain sacrifices." 

"Like what?" Thor's voice had suddenly turned quite soft, almost breathy. 

"Adults would get one small meal a day, so on and so on... we would survive for longer, but there'd be a constant complaint of hunger, and there would be a higher chance of disease and issues such as that. Starvation is not a pretty or fun thing."

Thor squeezed his eye shut, giving it a moments thought before nodding. "Do whatever you must to stretch supplies far enough for us to get more." 

———————

Albin was the only child left in the orphanage. While when they'd first gotten on to the ship, there were at least thirty children- but now, there was one. With chocolate skin and eyes as black as the night, intelligent and cunning, he was alone. Sitting in the corner, scanning the small bookshelf for a book he hadn't yet had the chance to read.

When Loki entered, the boy did not look up- he knew who it was. Loki was the only one to ever come see him at an irregular basis. The caretakers brought him food and checked up on him routinely, but other than that, he saw no one but Loki. "Have you come to read with me?"

"I have, Albin. And I've come with an offer." 

Loki's throat was tight. He'd smacked Thor down for doing this very thing only about a day ago, yet here he was. 

Albin then looked up, brow raised. "An... offer?"

"I want to adopt you. Do you know what that means?" 

"Yeah. It means I won't come back here... I'll disappear, like all of the other children. You'll take me somewhere to live that isn't here." 

"Correct." The trickster's movements were silent, and even as he slid down beside him, the only noise that came from him were vocal. "I want you to come live with me and the king, and Heimdall and Valkyrie and Banner. We will raise you to be the best man you can be." 

Loki knew very well that no one would ever let him adopt a child, let alone even care for one. He also knew that Thor loved children, and that he would probably be able to suck Heimdall, Valkyrie and Banner into helping with one. 

"You could continue to live here, if you so chose," Loki offered with a soft smile, offering a large hand for Albin to hold. "With all your books, and more, at least until we've found a place to call Asgard again."

Albin nodded rather happily. "That sounds nice... will I be a prince?" 

"I do believe that's how it works, yes." 

"That's cool." Albin seemed so nonchalant about the whole thing, and in all honesty, Loki was glad. 

It was then that the door slid open, and Loki turned to see a familiar blond stepping into the room, looking rather somber. 

"We're adopting him." Loki's term was matter-o-factly, and while Thor raised an eyebrow, he said nothing as he approached him, taking a seat at his side, crossing his legs. The two men were similar when it came down to it- or at least, Loki's facade and Thor's appearance were similar. Both large, muscular and handsome men, though one was dark as night and one was bright as the sun. Loki was always about an inch or so shorter. 

"Hello father." Albin uttered rather casually, eyes never straying from his book. Although he found it difficult to read aloud, Albin could silently finish a whole novel within an hour- and at the moment, he was about a chapter into an old, thick midgardian book (book? An absolute fuckign UNIT of a book) about the Russian aristocracy in the early 1800s.

"Loki." Thor finally managed to whisper, "I... I've made the executive decision to cut down on rations and such, because... we're running out fast. We've got an estimated four days of food left unless we start to watch how much is consumed. We'll last about a month with the new rules implemented... the search for a place to call Asgard has suddenly become much more frantic."

"Why can't we go to Midgard?" Albin wondered aloud, looking up from his book. "The midgardians love you, father, will they not accept us?"

"I'm afraid not. I've been in contact with a few representatives and I am starting to doubt that we will be allowed to even stop there momentarily." Thor's gaze was locked on the floor, somewhat frozen and blank. "I... were coming up on a planet, although it is not known if it will even be suitable for life yet. Once we are close enough, we'll scan and see what we can find out. We've got... probably about forty five minutes until we arrive... would you like to come explore it with me, Loki?" 

The trickster was silent, in a bit of a shocked state, and so Albin found the need to answer for him. "He's going."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi im a fucking theatre geek so here's a recommendation of a musical for y'all to listen to. 
> 
> Natasha, Pierre, & The Great Comet Of 1812
> 
> Fuckin beautiful tbh, 10/10, Josh Groban is a god and I would die for him 
> 
> Listen to it and cry. Pierre & Anatole is my obsession rn bc I can't stop thinking about how Groban sings "I seize you by the collar with my big big hands." And basically the whole song. The whole song is my kink. Pierre is amazing and Anatole is a little shit who ruins lives but i love his voice and his actor and how he's portrayed and
> 
> I WAYCHED A BOOTLEG THE OTHER DAY AND I ALMOSY CRIED BC THE WHOLE LIKE ABDUCTION/BALAGA PART OF THE MUSICAL HAS SUCH SATISFYING CHOREO AND I LOVE IT And the stage is shaped so weird but I love it and I just. This musical is my obsession I fucking love it with my whole heart and I want to preform the whole thing. 
> 
> It's 2:23 am  and I'm going to regret this in the morning but atm Idgaf


	17. Chapter 17

Thor was careful with how he worded the announcement, having written down a speech and then getting his brother to look over it a few times and critique him. But now, with his hands shaking and all eyes on him, he felt weak, powerless, scared, and he found his words straying from what he had written. 

"Food supplies... are short, and starvation is... imminent, if we do not take action I-immediately." Thor stood on a table in the middle of the dining hall, surrounded by Asgardians with rumbling tummies, all surrounding their king, hoping for answers as to why. He cleared his throat before continuing. "We will be cutting back on how much food a person is allowed a day. For mothers to be and mothers of infants, there will be little change, however, for adults and children above a certain age, you will only be allowed one full meal a day." 

There was a sudden burst of discontent which caught Thor off guard, shouting and groaning and grumbling in the crowd. "It is what we must do to survive. Like this, we will last much longer."

More groaning and growling, and Thor stepped down from the table, the people parting around him, the room loud with the chatter of different people in different conversations. Loki found him towards the door, a plate of food in hand. He had not eaten. 

"Thor, you should've stuck to the speech. The speech made everything feel much more hopeful." Loki found himself scolding him, placing a hand on his shoulder. 

The planet they'd found had a thick enough upper atmosphere that it would be almost impossible to penetrate. Banner's scanners were not powerful enough to analyze the planet inside, however, he knew it was somewhat earth-sized and possibly could sustain life. The atmosphere was rather rich in oxygen, at least compared to Asgard, and was somewhat hot, but suitable for life. They'd been in orbit for about an hour. 

Thor crumpled up the piece of paper the speech had been on and tossed it at Loki, a somewhat amused smile rising to his lips when it bounced off his temple and the trickster growled, punching his brother half-heartedly in the arm, below the wound, of course. 

When the two of them reached the make-shift orphanage, it was no longer an orphanage. It was Albin's private quarters, and the little man sat at the table he'd been supplied with, hunched over a book, legs swinging under the table. He didn't look up, but greeted his family with a soft, "Hello." 

Loki slid the plate in front of him, the boy perking up immediately, shoving the book aside before diving into his food. 

"This is my meal, so it's bigger than what you'd usually get. Enjoy." Loki uttered, smiling softly as he sat across from him. 

Thor was almost a bit surprised. "You're giving him your meal?"

Loki looked at him and spoke as if he was explaining things to a dull child. "Yes, Thor, I am giving Albin my dinner. See? I just handed him the plate, full of food. It was mine. Now it is his." 

Thor smiled, "Yes, I understand that, I'm simply a bit surprised that you'd give up your food." 

"Well, he is a growing boy." 

"Thank you," Albin's words were muffled by the food stuffed in his cheeks. "It's super good!" 

Thor turned to Loki, "We'd best be off, Loki. Or there may not be any food left for our growing boy." 

"Give us a minute, Thor."

"Why didn't you eat?" The king demanded, turning to his brother.

"I'm not hungry." 

"That's impossible, I've barely seen you eat anything lately."

Loki fell silent for a moment. 

"If I am to starve until we find more food, then I starve. But I will not let Albin go without the food he needs. He is a growing boy, and... he needs that meal a lot more than I do, brother." 

Thor did not respond, allowing them to lapse into silence, the only sound left being the small scrapes of the fork in Albin's hand against the plate as he tried to pick up the last few grains of rice.

It was Albin who broke the tense silence. 

"Thank you, father." 

He reached out his small hand and placed it over top of Loki's, the trickster turning to look at him with a soft and almost somewhat teary look in his eye. 

Loki took his hand. 

"Call me Vader." 

————-

The team was small. Loki, Thor, Valkyrie, and a few of the soldiers Korg had brought from Sakaar set out, in one of the smaller ships, to explore the planet the best they could, as fast as they could, with as little injuries as possible. The ship was just strong enough to make it into the atmosphere, and they managed to approach the planet at a reasonable enough speed. 

The atmosphere had been pure white, so filled with clouds that there was no chance at seeing through to the planet bellow. But now that they'd flew through the mass of clouds, the team gave a collective gasp as the planet could finally be seen. 

It was nothing but green and glowing. It was dark, because of the constant clouds, but bioluminescent trees and plants lit up the whole world with a green light. The planet was thick with flora, looking like a jungle planet. 

From what they could see, there were no clear indications of intelligent life, or big scary animals that would pose a threat. 

Valkyrie, who was piloting, brought them down low, flying just over the trees with a grin. "Gravity is stronger than in Asgard, but but not noticeably. There's plenty of oxygen, the soil is fertile, and-...." Valkyrie went silent, as did the rest of the crew, when they came upon a structure that was certainly not there naturally. 

A castle, or a temple, of some sorts- built of rock, almost the same size as the castle that had once been in Asgard. 

Valkyrie slowed the ship, finding what seemed like an empty field nearby and landing as quickly as possible. Not a word was said as they collected their weapons. 

"Someone must stay here and guard the ship." Thor uttered, finally the one to break the silence. 

Valkyrie took the position, and Thor and Loki were left with about six of Korg's warriors. 

Not a word was spoken, and with a mechanical groan, the door slid open and the ramp expanded down far enough for them to reach the ground. 

A burst of hot, humid air hit them, and immediately Loki felt out of place, far too out of place. This was too hot for him. The people of Asgard would consider it balmy, but for the frost-giant, he would not last long. 

Still, he set out beside his brother, who was currently taking a hesitant step on to the planet. "Is the flora poisonous?" 

Valkyrie looked over the scanner, swiping through a few things before shouting back, "Just don't eat anything, and you should be fine!" 

"Just don't be an idiot," Loki chuckled, nudging the king in the side. "Come, Brother. Let us go attempt to befriend whomever built that castle." 

The air almost choked him with how hot it was, prickling his throat and lungs every time he breathed. He felt like the was suffocating, but he said nothing, following in his brother's footsteps as he lead them through the glowing plants. The sky was dark, cloudy, but had a faint green glow, reflecting the light the plants produced. The castle itself almost seemed to glow as well, with a more blue colour than anything, pale rock giving off a powerful aura. The people here had definitely been here a while. 

"Do you think we'll be able to communicate, Brother?" Loki asked, placing a careful hand on his shoulder. 

"Of course, Loki. Why do you think I chose this team? Look around you." 

And so he did. 

Every person on the team was a different race, species. Each one had their own culture, their own languages and histories. Each one was individual. 

Even Loki was different. He was a frost giant, who could speak the giant's language and many others. 

"Well played, Brother. Well played." 

Thor smiles, clapping his brother on the back. "We'll be able to communicate fine." 

As they approached the castle, however, they had begun to think maybe it wouldn't be necessary. 

It seemed as though the whole palace had been deserted. The pathways were empty, baskets of fruits and such sitting to the sides, looking as though they'd been picked that very morning. 

"Maybe they're all inside?" One of the warriors offered, a few others having a conversation of their own. 

As they approached the large entryway, Loki was beginning to regret his decision to come. Even with his Asgardian form, he was overheating quick. He was wearing his thinnest, most breathable armour, and yet he was slick with sweat, hair standing on end, his muscles cramping and a headache forming. He prayed that the castle would be cooler inside. 

The doors looked to be made of wood, large and heavy, lined and held together with a shimmery metal. They had to be at least ten meters tall, yet Thor easily pushed them open. Stupid Thor and his strength. 

The doors groaned as they opened, light spilling out over them, and a few of them gasped at what was inside. 

The castle was similar to midgardian styles, high vaulted ceilings and carpets and tapestries, although there were no torches or chandeliers or anything of the sorts, as the whole rock that the castle was carved from seemed to glow blue, lighting up the whole chamber. 

Masses and masses of creatures sat on the floor with their legs crossed and their hands clasped together, yet all of them dropped their hands and had whipped their heads around to face the intruders. 

"What is this, mass?" Loki had uttered, before getting punched rather forcefully in the shoulder. 

The people looked like Aesir or Humans, their skin dark, yet tinged with blue and green. Each with dark hair and pointed ears. 

But they were small. Far smaller than Aesir. They were the size of children, yet looked like regular adults. 

Everyone was dead silent, dead still. 

Thor stepped forward. No one moved a muscle. He cleared his throat, sweat beading on his skin. He stood tall and proud, his voice firm and powerful. "I am Thor, King of Asgard. Who are you?" 

Loki almost laughed, until the eyes shifted towards him and he full on disappeared into thin air. 

No one responded. 

One of the warriors tried in a different language. Then another, and another, and another. They did not respond. 

Eventually, they fell silent. And Loki reappeared. He knew quite a few Midgardian languages... it was up to him now to try them. 

"Est-ce que vous parle français?"   
(Do you speak french?)

They seemed to perk up at that. 

French. They spoke french? Of all the possible languages, they spoke french? 

One of them stood, one that was almost as tall as Loki. They stood at the far end of the room. 

"Oui." (Yes.) Their voice was far lower than expected, deep and strong. 

"Nous besoin d'aide." (We need assistance.) Loki took a hesitant step forward, all eyes on him. "Mon frère ici, il s'appelle Thor. Il est notre roi. Je suis une prince. Nous vient d'Asgard, qui était détruit par-" (My Brother, his name is Thor. He is our king. I am a prince. We come from asgard, which has been destroyed by-)

"Loki, what are you-" 

"Shut it, you brainless numbskull!" Loki hissed, "I'm asking for help, what do you think I'm doing?" He turned back towards the person who was standing, offering a soft, somewhat broken smile. "Nous sommes environs trois cent. On besoins une place pour inhabitée, ou de nourritures. Je suis désolé de viendrez ici comme ça, mes nous sommes désespérés." (We are about three hundred. We need a place to life, or food. I'm sorry to come here like this, but we are desperate.)

The person spoke up once again. "Ou sont les autres?" (Where are the others?) 

"Sur notre vaisseau spatial. C'est dans l'orbite. Nous sommes comprises des familles, c'est tous." (On our ship. It's in orbit. We're comprised of families, that's it.)  Loki looked pale, not to mention scared. It was too hot here, far too hot... he hoped and prayed they were in the middle of a heatwave. Loki could barely stand Asgardian temperatures at some points, always starting to overheat at about 30 degrees Celsius. Here, it must've been at least 40 degrees. God, he was dizzy. 

"Nous sommes dans une période du famine aussi." (We too are in a period of famine.) The being on the other side of the room started to walk forward, the people shifting to give him a path to follow. They continued to speak, but Loki was having a very hard time focusing. Soon enough he found himself asking aloud, "Est-ce que vous a une place qui est plus froide? C'est si chaude, ici..." (Do you have some place that's colder? It's hot, here..." 

The being nodded, offering a hand. "Je m'appelle Laverne la troisième, est je suis le roi des hamadryad." (I am Laverne the third, and I am king of the Hamadryad.)

Hamadryads, so that's what they were. Little forests spirits that were often bound to trees. It was then that Loki finally seemed to notice the roots that seemed to crawl up every surface in the palace, climbing high up the walls, trees practically built into the glowing blue stone, the leaves themselves the same bright green as the eyes of the people what watched. 

Laverne was only about half the side of Loki, yet he made up for it in sheer strength and looks. Though he was small, that did not make him less intimidating. 

Laverne shouted something in a different language to the hamadryads, and they all seemed to scramble to their feet, each running in their own direction, down a hallway here or a hallway there, a majority of them filtering past them to exit the castle. 

Thor was mostly just stunned, but followed the little creature who lead Loki by the hand down a hallway, the warriors following them at a distance. 

"Quelque place froid," (Someplace cold,) Loki practically pleaded, the world swaying before him. If he'd eaten anything that day, he would've already thrown it up. 

With short black hair that was as curly as it could be, and brilliant green eyes, he was a handsome little dryad, the prince. 

"Quel langue est-ce que vous parles?" (What language do you speak?) Laverne questioned as he lead them deep into the castle, Thor never straying too far, trying to decipher what the man and his brother were talking about. 

"Ah... Anglais. Nous parles anglais,   
Le plupart du temps." (Ah... English. We speak English, most of the time.) Loki uttered, very very careful as he descended the stairs, his sense of balance very off. He was way too hot, waaaayy too hot, but he couldn't pass out, not now, definitely not now. He was the translator. Without him, there would be no way to communicate. 

And yet, he didn't have much of a choice in the matter, wether he passed out or not. 

"Plus vite... si possible, s'il vous plaît... j-je suis trop chaude..." (Faster... if possible, please... I-I am too hot...) 

Loki was thankful for the firm hand placed on his shoulder by his brother, which steadied him as they were lead through the hallways. 

"Loki, you look faint. Shall I carry you?" 

"D...don't, Brother, don't be silly... I'm just overheated, I'll be fine once I cool down, I promise..." the end of his sentence was barely comprehensible, and Loki quite visibly was stumbling, the firm hand on his shoulder stopped him, and the whole group stopped along with him, paused in the hallway as Thor rather forcefully turned his brother towards him. 

"Qu'est qui arrive?" (What is happening?) Laverne demanded, and Loki had tried to stutter a response, but his words were slurred and his head was throbbing, his mind cloudy. 

Thor placed a hand on Loki's neck, startled by how hot and dry he was. The trickster was usually so cold, but now, he was hot, far too hot, his cheeks flushed and his breathing shallow ember rapid. This was not good. 

"J... je suis... trop chaude," (I... I am.... too hot,) Loki found himself uttering, his knees buckling and giving out before his brother caught him and tugged him close. 

"Um... froid. S'il vous plaît. C'est urgent."  (Um... cold. Please. It's urgent.) Thor's french was lacking, and he spoke with a very bad accent, but from what he'd picked up, he could manage, lifting the trickster over his shoulder as the Jotun kicked weakly against it, spots dancing in front of his eyes. 

Once he'd realized how urgent it was, Laverne found himself practically running, leading them through more and more tunnels and down more stairs, all the way to a large caverne that was deep in the heart of the planet, an underground lake laying in the rock floor. 

The warriors had been left behind, and Laverne stood at the door, watching with luminous eyes as Thor laid the trickster down in one of the smaller pools, making sure to keep his head above the water. The jotun's eyelids were just barely open, eyelashes fluttering as he struggled to stay conscious. He was far too weak to do much else, his breaths shallow and quick. 

The pool seemed to come to life underneath him, everywhere the trickster touched glowing a bright blue. 

His eyes fluttered shut, lips barely parted, the pale being looking so absolutely stunning in the dim light, even on the brink of unconsciousness. 

The pool was cool, almost freezing- it was the perfect temperature for him. 

Thor found himself slipping into the water as well, staying at his brother's side. His dark hair on the stone of the edge of the pool looked silky and smooth, his head resting on the side of the pool to keep him above water. 

The pool was not deep- only a foot or so, and so Thor knelt in the water while his brother laid almost motionless, the shaky rising and falling of his chest creating ripples in the still surface. Wherever the trickster touched on the bottom of the pool, the stone seemed to glow a bright blue. 

Thor found one of his hands, bringing it out of the water to squeeze it tight, searching his brother's face for any sign of awakening. 

He found none. The Jotun was unconscious, recovering from heatstroke in the cool waters. 

"It will take while." Laverne spoke in a thick accent, one which Thor did not recognize. 

"So now you speak English?"  Thor practically growled, trying to keep his emotions under control, failing miserably.

"I learned some. Not much. Just enough. I prefer french." Laverne shrugged, taking a few steps closer. "He is frost giant, I sense... he will recover, albeit slow." 

The hamadryad couldn't have been taller than four foot five, dressed in what looked to be a lose toga like outfit,  made of a dark green silky material. His skin was dark like that of Albin's, a deep rich chocolate. But his eyes- his eyes were bright green and Intelligent.  

"We do not have much to offer, but I will bring food. I apologize if it is not suitable for Aesir or Jotun." Laverne bowed respectfully before he turned on his heels and left the room, sliding a wooden door back into place before his echoing footsteps retreated down the hall. 

Loki's frantic breaths had steadied by then, and he looked rather peaceful, as if he was sleeping. 

Now that they were alone, Thor's large hands got to work, peeling away layer upon layer of leather armour until Loki was left in nothing but his leather trousers, which Thor felt would be too much to take off. Those leathers were far too heavy and hot for the climat of this planet. No wonder he'd overheated so fast. 

The trickster was smaller than Thor, though not by much. He may have been a runt in frost-giant standards, but for Aesir standards he was tall and strong, a powerful man. 

Thor found himself placing a hand on his pale, smooth chest, hot under his palm, as he felt his heart rate, breathing a slow sigh of relief. It had slowed down considerably, as had his breathing, and he seemed to be recovering, at least somewhat. 

The trickster was beautiful, even in the state he was in- with porcelain white skin that was soft and smooth, a strong chest and prominent collarbones that Thor could barely stop himself from kissing. The V in his hips was one that Thor couldn't help but touch, his hands sliding up to hold his waist, heart thumping in his throat. His neck was slim and white and unmarked, his jawline sharp and his lips- oh, his lips-

It was then that the trickster's eyes fluttered open ever so slowly, and Thor retracted his hands, shifting forward to appear in Loki's line of view. 

"Loki? Can you hear me? What is my name?" 

"Did you take off my shirt, you babbling oaf?" Loki's voice was low and weak, but he was still intimidating as shit. He shifted slightly, giving a groan as he attempted to prop himself up on his elbows and lift his head. 

"Recovering steadily, I see." Thor almost laughed.

 

Loki's hair, especially when wet, was silky and dripped down his neck, shoulders and back like black ink, a stark contrast to his pale skin. With a shaky hand, he swept it back and out of his face, cheeks still flushed from the heat. "This planet... I pray it is in the middle of a heat wave, this is... far too hot... I am a frost-giant, Thor, frost. I'll have to live down in this cave if the temperatures are always this high." 

Thor smiled, a grin that was pure and happy. "So, what was with that whole conversation the two of you had? Do they have food?" 

"They're in a shortage... but the king seemed friendly enough, I'm sure I'll be able to worm my way into having us stay here, even just for a little while. We should be able to find and cultivate food fairly fast... and we have the science man, banner, he should be able to do something." 

Thor gave a disappointed sigh, only to be interrupted by a loud growl from his stomach. Loki reached over and jokingly held a finger to it, shushing it. "You'll make me hungry too, hush." 

"You should've eaten your meal, Loki. Albin can survive without your food." 

Loki sent a glare his way, but did not respond, sinking back into the cold water. 

The main part of the lake was deep and dark, so dark that Loki could not possibly see the bottom. It intrigued him. 

Thor gave a slow, steady sigh. "Tell me, Brother... why must our ship have a pool, yet not enough food to sustain us properly? You'd think the sakaarians would be more prepared than that." 

"Have you met the grandmaster, Thor? The man focused on his own pleasure more than anything. He had several ships just for orgies. I am not surprised that he had a pool instead of a proper food supply." The trickster shifted slowly, crawling his way over to the main pool, smiling softly and slipping on to a ledge which he could sit on, legs hanging over the deep dark pit. The water came up to his shoulders there, and he seemed rather happy to just stay in the cool pool. "You were right to undress me... and lay me in the pool. Though, Frankly, I'm surprised you left my trousers on." Loki almost chuckled the last part, mischievous blue eyes flickering over his brother from afar. "I don't think I would've complained if I'd woken up with your hands on my hips and your lips on my collar." 

Thor tried to ignore the burst of heat that was sent to his groin at the thought, and he moved into the deeper, main part of the underground pool, the water cold enough to dispel his half-formed erection. "You'd be waking up to a lot more than that, Brother." 

"Such lewd words, and yet you call me Brother?" 

Thor was silenced by that, standing on the very same ledge that Loki was sat on, a few meters separating them. They held eye contact in silence for a long while, the both of them unmoving. 

"As soon as we are back to our room, I will have you." Thor promised. 

Loki hummed in interest. "You promised the same thing just yesterday, Thor, might I remind you? You have yet to act. How do I know you won't pussy out again? I was so very excited for your return the last time." 

Thor couldn't help but grin. "Mark my words, Loki. I will have you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vader is Father in the giants language. http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Giant_dictionary
> 
> The french dialogue is probably not grammatically accurate at all bc I suck at writing in french ngl lmao sorry Oof
> 
> : I wrote this really late at night and then realized that not everyone speaks french and English so im gonna try to write some English in too or smth so y'all understand lmao 
> 
>  
> 
> This chapter is so long and I'm not sorry at all, I couldn't really find a good place to end it tbh, I was on a roll


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this a while ago but I’ve been to lazy to upload it lmao oops

They'd remained in that pool for a long while, the two of them talking and laughing and joking with each other until Laverne had returned with two small plates of what looked like various root vegetables. 

Loki climbed out of the pool, standing at the side, dripping wet, his brother soon following him with a grin. 

"Merci, Laverne." Loki bowed his head respectfully before taking the plate of food, Thor having already grabbed his and started to wander away. "Thor tells me you speak English?" 

Laverne tensed up a bit, eyes narrowing. "I can. But I chose not to." His voice was deep, rich, and heavily accented, his lips dark and full and kissable. He was tall, for a hamadryad, almost Loki's height, while most of them got to the average height of about 4'7. His hair was short, and as curly as it could be, his skin a deep chocolate brown and his eyes a luminous green. 

He was gorgeous.

And soon enough, Loki found his words slipping into silvertongue, his voice smooth and rich. "Don't bother making an effort to speak English if you do not wish to. Is it alright if I speak in English, and you speak french? We both understand eachother... and it'd be much easier that way. Not to mention it would piss off Thor." 

The two of them turned to look at said man, who had raised his head at his name. "What?"

Loki just smiled and continued the conversation. "Is there any possible way we could stay the night? We'll go back to our ship if necessary, but that'd be quite a waste of fuel, if you ask me." 

"Nous on une place où vous peux reposer, pour la nuit. Mais vous deux vont besoin de partager une chambre." (We have a place where you can rest, for the night. But you two will have to share a room.) 

"Sharing a room is no problem." 

Thor stopped in his tracks, and Loki didn't have to look at him to feel the rather mischievous grin. "Are the rooms soundproof?" 

Loki mentally face-palmed, however did not show it on his face, with an exception of the heavy blush that he didn't brother covering up. "This whole palace is made of stone, Thor, what do you think? I'm sure the walls will be thick enough to be at least somewhat soundproof." 

Laverne nodded, looking somewhat confused, but he carried on. "Les chambres sont petit, mais ils vont fonctionner pour maintenant. Est-ce que je peux demander des questions apropos de votre société est tous ça?"  
(The rooms are small, but they'll work for now. Can I ask you questions about your society and all that?) 

"Of course, of course." Loki looked down at his sad, wet clothes, and with a snap of his fingers they were back on him and he was perfectly dry, this time in a slightly different outfit, one that was not made of leather or any of the thick materials of Asgard. He'd copied the fabrics of the hamadryads, something much more... fluid, lose and colourful against his pale skin. It covered a lot more than what the hamadryad's typical outfits did. It was a deep green, and was more of a fitted toga than anything. 

Thor loved it, though he said nothing, wandering over to steal what looked like a purple carrot off of Loki's untouched plate. 

Loki and Laverne spoke, and Thor listened closely, hanging around the area to eavesdrop while the two of them paced and conversed. 

"No, our parents are dead. Yes, we're young. Our mother was murdered, I killed my father and his father died of old age." 

The two of them talked long after Thor had finished his meal and set down his plate.

"No, he does not have a queen yet. He's barely even a king. There hasn't been a coronation, last time I checked." 

Thor had been steadily stealing bites of food from Loki's plate, the trickster not even bothering to acknowledge him.

"Actually, I'm not even Asgardian. I'm a frost giant. Yes, yes, I know I don't look like one..." 

After what felt like hours of Thor steadily stealing more and more food, he just took the plate, Loki doing absolutely nothing to fight it, basically tuning him out altogether. With his now empty hands, the trickster either motioned while he talked or held them behind his back.

"How is he intimidating? He's basically a big blonde teddy bear wearing armour." Finally, the trickster acknowledged Thor, who was laying on the floor, staring at the ceiling, admiring at the frescoes that covered it. Loki pointed towards him, and Thor turned his head, smiling and waving friendly at the two royals that looked towards him. 

"I have been told that I am lovable."

Loki rolled his eyes, and Laverne simply smiled.

"You Asgardians sound like interesting people... shall I lead you to your rooms? Then you two can have a private place to speak and rest." Laverne waved over one of the palace workers, who quickly ran over and took both plates, leaving the room as fast as she'd entered it. 

Thor couldn't help but grin, following Laverne as he lead them through a few more corridors, before they came upon a thick wooden door set in the stone. He unlocked it and swung it open, motioning for the two of them to enter. Loki of course went first, Thor following soon after. Laverne left the door open behind them as he strolled in as well. 

It was small, but cozy- the walls seemed to glow with blue energy, and though there were no windows or anything of the sorts, there was a large bed, and what looked to be a bathroom, a midgardian sort of style room. Loki would have to ask about the heavy midgardian influence in a later conversation. 

The bed took up most of the room, covered in thick, beautiful furs, clean and soft sheets underneath. The room was rather magnificent. 

"I cannot thank you enough for your generosity, Laverne," Loki bowed his head in respect. "And... I owe you my life." 

Laverne gave a bit of a weak smile, before he bowed in return and tossed a key towards him, the one that unlocked and locked the door, which he caught easily. With that, Laverne left, closing the door behind himself.

"I like this place," Thor uttered, a hand running along the wall. "It's warm, and the people are friendly... definitely a good place to look into." 

"We can't live here, Thor." Loki said if rather casually, as if he was just stating fact, sliding comfortably on to the bed, placing the keys on the bedside table. 

Thor stopped in his tracks, turning to look at him. "Why not?"

"It's far too hot, they've been having trouble with their crops, there's no sun. It's suitable for the Hamadryads, but not for Asgardians." 

"We can live without sun, and I'm sure banner can do something about the crops. The weather may be problematic for you, Brother, but Asgard will love it. Not everything is about you," Thor reminded, and Loki scowled back at him, sitting up and hissing his next words.

"Asgardians can't live without sun, Thor. The vitamins and benefits that come from regular exposure to sun are very much important. Living on this planet for an extended period of time would be very, very unhealthy for the Asgardian population, as so would be living on our ship for the rest of our lives. This isn't just about me, Thor." 

Thor stepped forwards, arms crossing in front of him. Loki glared back at him, standing once again, taller than the thunderer after a quick flick of his wrist. "We can't live here, Thor. As much as you'd like to." 

"Why not? I'm king, you'll do as I say."

"You are no king. You are but a foolish ape with an ego that's been blown up far too big. You've convinced yourself that you're better than everyone around you, that you know best, and that you can do whatever you want." Loki took a threatening step forward, icy blue eyes glaring daggers into Thor's. "You're going to end up getting all of us killed if you don't stop and think, for once in your life, just think." 

Thor's movements were quick, and Loki had not expected them, which worsened how breathless he was when he was seized by the collar by big, big hands and forced up against the stone wall, his back slamming into the glowing blue and forcing the air from his lungs in such a rush that his mind went blank. It took him a moment to realize that Thor had shoved him up against the wall, and was far too close, pressing him into the stone with his body. "I am your king, trickster," he growled, and Loki was very unhappy about the fact that he had to hold back a whimper. "You are walking a fine line. Tread carefully." His voice was thick and threatening, the trickster able to feel the breath on his lips. He couldn't help but allow his gaze to flicker down to the thunderer's lips before back up to his eye. 

"Ah, yes...." Loki's words were forced, as it was somewhat hard to speak casually when pressed up against the wall, still recovering from being winded. "The great king of Asgard, getting his way only through intimidation and violence." 

Thor eased up at that, and Loki was surprised when he was allowed a little bit of breathing room. Usually, provocation ended in fights. Had Thor finally learned to be mature and responsible? 

Loki found himself finally able to relax when Thor released the man from his shaking grasp, the thunderer turning his back to him, running his hands through his hair and doing his very best to breathe deeply. He would not do this today. 

"I... apologize." Thor uttered, back still facing the trickster, who was now attempting to neaten his clothes and recover from the sort of attack. 

Loki shifted back on to the bed, giving a slow, steady sigh. "I... do not accept your apology," he said with a cough, "Your outburst of anger was completely unacceptable and inappropriate. You have a bad habit of overreacting, Brother." 

Thor stood completely still, the only sign of movement being his shaky chest rising and falling with each heavy breath. Loki could feel the tension, the smell of ozone thick in the room, sparks dancing around Thor's hands. 

"Brother... as much as this is a wonderful place, Asgardians need sun." Loki's voice was lowered to a whisper. "The Hamadryads are adapted to having no sun, and so they get their necessary vitamins from the foods they eat, the water they drink, and the air they breath. The only upside of this planet is that we can establish possible trade relations, stock up on more fuel, and see if we can try and cultivate our own food using a bit of their soil and their seeds."

At the talk of food, Loki's stomach growled rather loudly. It was at that simple little unexpected noise that Thor turned on his heels, seeming to have transformed into a whole different Thor in the few moments he'd been turned around. "When was the last time you ate?" 

Loki was a bit surprised by the question, and was far too lazy to fabricate a decent lie. He told the truth. "About three days, I think." 

"Three days?" Thor's eyes went wide, and he seemed a bit shocked. "You haven't eaten in three days? Loki, how did you even-" 

"I haven't been hungry. Not to mention, other people need it far more than I do." 

"This is unhealthy, Brother. You need to eat." 

Loki gave a shrug. Now was the first time in a long time that he legitimately felt hungry. "I'll consider it. Perhaps, when we get back to the ship. I do not want to bother Laverne." 

At that, Thor seemed to perk up, and practically ran to the door, flinging it open and then slamming it shut behind himself as he disappeared before Loki could say a word. 

When he returned mere minutes later, he was holding another plate, with the same strange root vegetables Thor's dinner had been comprised of. "Eat," the man ordered, "I am king and I command you to eat." He forced the plate into Loki's lap, and the trickster glanced between the plate and the man who stood above him, before thin fingers picked up what looked like a beet, and he took a bite. 

He ate slowly, awkwardly, and Thor watched as he did so, finishing about half the plate before looking up, swallowing, and uttering a forceful "I'm full." 

Thor took the plate, setting it on the bedside table. He was satisfied. "You need to eat, Loki. Food is important." 

"I'm aware." The trickster seemed a bit pissed off, and with good reason. He crossed his arms, leaning back to lay with his head in the pillows, staring up at the ceiling. 

Thor laid down beside him, reaching over to poke at the trickster's stomach.   
"How can I trust you to take care of Albin if you can't take care of yourself?"

"You can't." 

Thor gave a slow sigh, shifting closer to press a gentle kiss to Loki's jaw, the trickster shivering at the light touch. 

Loki may had been frustrated with Thor, but that soft, all too short kiss that had been pressed to his jaw had sent a shiver down his spine, and Loki wanted more of it. 

Well... Thor cared about him. That's what this was about, yes? Thor was concerned enough for him to force him to eat. 

The trickster softened at the realization, and tilted his head to lock eyes with the man beside him.

"You care for me me." 

It was a small, barely audible whisper, but one that would not go unheard by the thunderer. At those small words, Thor shifted closer, closer, closer... until Loki could feel the next spoken on his lips. 

"I do." Thor's voice was deep and husky, and did things to Loki that he'd never admit. 

The trickster made the first move, bridging the gap between their lips. 

This kiss was not like the fiery, passionate kiss they'd had on the ship- this was slow, careful. Loving. It was everything Loki needed, everything Loki could've ever dreamed. The world seemed to fall away around them as Thor's ever so slightly shaking hand found its way to the back of loki's head, caressing him and tangling his fingers in his beautifully dark hair. His other hand rested at the side of Loki's face, a thumb caressing his cheek. 

Loki's hands worked differently, one of them sliding down Thor's spine until he found the small of his back, pulling him closer until there was no space left between them, bodies flush together. 

When they broke apart, Loki was left with his lips parted. For once, he was rendered speechless as Thor's lips moved to his jaw, leaving terrible, teasing kisses down his neck before he reached his collar, nibbling at his creamy white skin, eliciting a slight gasp as the man left a mark on him. 

Thor's hands were big, strong. They felt so comforting and lovely on Loki's body, even as they pulled the cloth down his arms, stripping him of his toga-like attire down to his waist, where his hands then made their way back up to his chest. 

Loki's heart was racing, and thanks to a deft hand that caressed Thor's neck, he was glad to note that so was Thor's. 

"Thor." 

The thunderer pulled back, sliding his hands to his shoulders, offering a giddy smile as he met the trickster's eyes. 

"Yes, Loki?"

"I'm intersex."


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW warning. Intersex Loki.

"I'm intersex." 

The words were firm, yet casual, as he was simply stating a fact. The trickster's face gave away no emotions whatsoever- it was like a stoic mask, covering just how panicked he was. He sat up slowly, and his brother did the same.

Thor regarder him with a blank stare, one that made anxiety pool in Loki's chest. 

"What does that mean?" 

Loki almost laughed. Of course, Thor had no idea what it meant. Of course! Classic fucking Thor. Too stupid to know what intersex meant. Great, now he had to explain. 

"I have both male and female reproductive systems." 

"...You could've just said that, Loki." 

God, the Prankster was doing all he could not do throttle him. 

Thor almost laughed, his grin wide. "So you've got both? Is that because you're a frost-giant? How- how did I not know this? We grew up together, we took baths together until we were at least 500-" 

Loki, allowing his facade to crumble, was bright red in the face as he grabbed Thor by the collar, yanking him forward to crush their lips together once again, this time forcefully as he pushed Thor down on to his back, straddling him as his hands worked on taking off his armour. When Loki pulled back, Thor seemed rather breathless, a wild grin on his face. "What was that for?"

"Shutting you up." Loki practically hissed it, deft yet somewhat shaky hands undoing every strap and buckle, tossing the metal armour away. 

Thor's chest was broad and strong, his skin golden with a deep tan. Loki ran his hands over his strong body, skin pulled tight over powerful muscles. "Thor, I want to take you." 

"Then take me."

Thor's belt was big and thick, and it took Loki a moment of wrestling with the buckle to pull it off, the thunderer watching with rather hungry eyes. Thor's big hands soon came to help, Loki shifting off of him to allow Thor to sit up and unbutton his trousers, pushing them down and kicking them off, left in nothing but his boxers. 

A wave of anxiety washed over the little trickster at the sight of the outline, the big cock that was being held captive by the fabric of his boxers. Loki was quick to free him, yanking them down, his cock springing up and almost hitting the Jotun in the nose. 

God, it was thick, and it was so much longer now that it was hard and pulsing. Loki could feel his own cock throbbing against the fabric, though he did his best to focus on the one in front of him. It matched the colour of Thor's lips, and even when Loki wrapped a hand around it, it still looked too big to be real. God, damn. So the Aesir really did have bigger cocks. 

"It won't fit." Were the first words to leave Loki's lips, his eyes wide in awe as he looked over the big cock, which pulsed in his hand, precum gathering at the tip. God, this was terrifying. It would never fit. Loki was tight with two fingers, how was this supposed to fit? 

"Oh, it will." Thor promised, smiling down at Loki as he knelt on the bed, the trickster sitting in front of him. "Now suck." 

Loki would never admit how much heat was sent to his groin when Thor had ordered him that. "Make me." 

A firm hand on the back of his head, and Loki wrapped his lips around Thor's tip, using his seidr to quickly get rid of his gag reflex as he took him as far as he could go, the bulge of his cock visible in the trickster's throat. Thor's hand on the back of his head gripped his hair, pulling him back before pushing him to the hilt.

Thor allowed his head to tilt back and his eye to flutter shut, heat pooling in his stomach as pressure began to build, lips parting as he let out a lewd groan. Loki was too good at this, way too good. Just how much had he done with the grandmaster? 

Loki's tongue swirled around his tip, his hand stroking the base of him as he focused on the head of his thick cock, squeezing his eyes shut as he sucked and pleasured him. It was big, too big, but Loki was willing to try. 

Thor pulled him off his cock with a pop, looking down at the trickster with rather hungry eyes. God, he needed him. 

"Lay back." 

Loki, for once, did as he was told, looking up at his love as he let out a shaky, nervous breath. Slowly, he lowered himself down, head in the pillows. He spread his milky white thighs, his cock and cunt still covered by the green cloth he was wearing. 

"You're gorgeous..." Thor let slip, stroking his own cock as he looked him over, eyes filled with lust and yet adoration. He really was beautiful, like this- his black hair, bright eyes, pale skin, green cloth covering part of his lower half. 

Thor's strong yet now shaky hands moved forward gently, slowly, and pulled back the cloth, unwrapping Loki like a present, eyes going wide. His cock was so little in comparison to Thor's, far paler, with precum beading on his tip. And it was pulsing, desperate to be touched. 

Underneath it lay a prize that Loki was ashamed of, already slick and waiting. 

"You're beautiful." 

With a big hand around his little cock, Thor began to stroke him, leaning down to kiss at his tip before both hands shifted to his thighs, lifting them and pulling them over Thor's shoulders. 

Loki shivered and flushed red, Thor's breath hot on his cunt, his tongue even hotter. He was sensitive, and anxiety pooled in his stomach, although soon enough it melted away, and he slid his hands down to tangle is long fingers in his short blond hair. 

He tightened around a thick finger, a whimper leaving his lips as Thor's tongue and fingers worked to undo him, milky white thighs trembling as he was touched so intimately. The rough scrape of his beard had him shaking, feeling things he'd never felt before. This was too good. It wouldn't last. 

"Thor..." He uttered, squeezing his eyes shut tight. His cheeks were hot with a flush of colour, and his heart fluttered in his chest. He resisted the urge to squeeze his thighs shut, instead simply trembling and allowing Thor to work his magic. 

As if to praise him for allowing the name to slip past his lips, Thor shifted his tongue from his cunt to his cock, licking up his shaft before pressing a sloppy kiss to his head. 

Thor's fingers were thicker than his own, and so there was a stretch when he added a second, Thor giving him time to adjust before he scissored his fingers. 

Loki's reaction was one that Thor wished he had pictures of. The trickster had gasped and cried, arching his back, shaking hands gripping at the sheets. Curses left his lips, and it was all he could do not to squirm, swearing under his breath. The trickster was sensitive as all hell, shivering and shaking, his virgin cunt tight around Thor's fingers. 

Thor had never seen him so vulnerable. And now that he had, he wanted more.

"Fuck," Loki uttered, breathy and more of a groan than anything. "Thor..."

Thor grinned, pressing a kiss to the inside of his thigh. God, Loki was magnificent like this, coming undone under his touches. 

A third finger was slipped in, and Loki gave a shudder and practically yelped, the stretch one that was a wonderful mix of painful and pleasurable. But Thor knew what he was doing- Thor had done this many times before. Frankly, Thor was glad that Loki was intersex- it was far easier, not to mention a lot more fun, to prepare a cunt. 

The play of hot breath against the inside of his milky white thighs and his cunt had him trembling, the fairer god completely in Thor's hands. This was the most vulnerability he'd ever shown anyone, and yet, he couldn't bring himself to feel ashamed. 

His abdomen felt tight, and his heart fluttered madly in his chest as Thor stretched him, sucking at his cock and playing with his cunt. Loki couldn't stop himself from letting out an occasional whimper. 

"You look magnificent," Thor cooed, sounding pleased. 

"I know," Loki snarked back, though it was far less powerful than he'd intended, especially because of his fluttering eyelashes and how hard he was trying to keep his eyes open. His parted lips were curved into an almost gentle grin as he panted for breath.

Thor had stretched him wide with three thick fingers, and now that Loki was trembling under his every touch, he pulled his fingers from his dripping cunt and pressed them to Loki's lips, "Suck." 

Loki usually wasn't one for following orders, but at the moment, he was rather desperate for more, his cunt feeling so horribly empty, his cock dripping precum. 

He looked up with teasing eyes and took the three fingers past his lips, sucking and licking them like he had Thor's cock in earlier moments. 

When a deft hand slid down to take hold of his own cock, however, Thor moved fast as lightning, catching his wrist and pinning it above his head, earning a bit of a muffled gasp from the trickster. 

Thor pulled his fingers from Loki's mouth, watching them slide past the wet pink of his lips. God, he was gorgeous. 

Thor's kiss was then hot and insistant, the rough scrape of a beard against Loki's smooth cheeks causing him to tremble even worse. Teeth nibbled sharply at his lower lip and Thor took the chance to slip in his tongue, thanks to the resulting gasp. Thor had caught both of his wrists by then, holding them above his head with one hand while he kissed him. When they parted, Thor had only done so to take him from a different angle, stealing all the breath from Loki's lungs in the unrelenting and overwhelming kiss. 

His hot and passionate lips moved to his jaw once again, leaving dark marks along pale porcelain skin, and the contact did things to Loki that he'd never speak of aloud. 

"You are absolutely bewitching," Thor's words were breathy and low against his collar, one hand feeling every valley and dip of his body while the other held his hands still. 

"Quit teasing me and get on with it," Loki practically growled, which brought a smile to Thor's lips. 

"I've waited for this for long enough, Loki... I'm going to take my time and enjoy the moment." Thor's voice was thick and rich and god, how he loved it. "You are mine." 

He sinks his teeth into Loki's collar and earns a gasp from the trickster, a jolt of pain and pleasure sent down his spine as he bucked his hips on impulse, Thor groaning against him at the friction against his cock. The thunderer's lips curled into a wicked smile. "So you like it rough? I should've known." 

The hot lips trailed down from his collar with hot and wet kisses, finally finding their way down to a pink nipple that was hard in the warm air of their room, the thunderer dragging his tongue around it torturously slow before a sharp nibble results in a gasp and an almost hesitant moan from the trickster. 

While he sucked and played with his nipples, Thor moved a hand down to grab his own cock and rub himself against Loki's dripping cunt, rolling his hips as he rubbed his shaft against the hot entrance. 

Loki was left squirming under his every touch, fighting the hand that kept his own still. God, he needed more, so much more... it was good, better than anything he'd felt before. But it wasn't enough. 

Thor brought their hips together in a powerful grind, the trickster gasping and moaning and arching into him, head falling back into the pillows as all the air in his lungs left him in a rush. Again and again and again Thor brought them together, the little Jotun doing all he could not to sob. 

When Thor halted his movements, Loki gave a whimper of loss, every nerve in his body hot electric. 

"Oil." Thor whispered, a sweet smile on his face as he released his wrists. "Just a bit." 

It took Loki a dull moment to realize that Thor was asking him to conjure some up, and so he gladly obliged, snapping his fingers. Oil pooled in the palm of Thor's hand, which he used to slick up his thick cock, still slippery from Loki's sucking. Loki's heart sunk when he realized that Thor was about to try and enter him.

When Thor pushed Loki's legs back, and set himself up to push in, the trickster wrapped his arms around his thick torso, holding him tight to his own body, burying his face in his shoulder. Though he said nothing, and had attempted to hide the fact he was scared, he was- the Jotun was shaking, now for a different reason. He was panicked. He'd been through a lot of pain in his life, and he didn't want to feel any more, especially not now. 

Thor, bless him, seemed to notice the way the trickster had clung to him, how the man was shaking. He wrapped his arms around him in return, body against body as he held him in a loving and affectionate embrace. "Deep breaths... I'll be gentle. Tell me to stop if need be." He paused for a moment, before pressing a gentle, loving kiss to his cheek. "Deep breaths." 

Thor pulls back and out of his embrace for a moment, the tip of his cock to Loki's dripping hole. 

And he pushed in, earning a strained gasp as the tip of his cock sunk deep into his little cunt, the trickster stiffening under his touches. "Thor-"

"Deep breaths," Thor reminded, stopping at Loki's reaction. "I won't move until you tell me to." 

God, he was thick, and god, was he hot. The stretch was incredible, Even with preparation and oil, he still filled him to the brim, the trickster's eyes rolling as his head fell back into the pillows, a breathless moan leaving his lips. It had hurt, to start with- but now, he wanted more, the Jotun groaning and squeezing his eyes shut. 

Loki wrapped his legs around Thor's hips, crossing his ankles and breathing as deep as he could, hugging the king close to him once again. "Move... I can handle it." 

When Thor started to push in again, Loki did all he could not to sob, squeezing Thor tight as the man began to thrust, groaning as he slid in and out of the trickster's wet heat. Loki's cock was throbbing, remaining untouched as he clung to the man that was taking him so deeply.  His little cock was red, the tip rubbing against Loki's stomach with every thrust, only causing him to shiver worse.

Thor fucked Loki as thoroughly and tenderly as he knew how, in slow, patient thrusts, tipping his hips to different angles as he left loving and gentle kisses over his body. 

Loki clung to him, kissing at the crook of his neck, his breathing heavy as he was loved so wonderfully. God, this was absolute heaven. 

Thor's touches were nothing but loving, every little movement or kiss being one out of pure adoration. He was gentle, sweet, focused on Loki's pleasure rather than his own, and he was constantly leaning back to scan Loki's face for any sign of pain. The thunderer was doing the absolute most for him, holding him close, His heart fluttering in his chest. 

Loki hadn't seen it as much before as he did now. Now, it was more obvious than ever. 

Thor cared about him. Thor cared about him a lot.

And Loki was suddenly overwhelmed. Thor was usually so blind, so dumb, but then again, maybe he wasn't. Because now, he wasn't blind or dumb. He was kind, loving, caring, and was making sure that Loki had the best experience possible. He was focusing on Loki rather than on himself. 

Thor loved him. 

And Loki loved him back. 

With his whole heart, Loki loved him back. 

Loki was brought back down to earth, however, when Thor halted his movements, leaning back to look him over. He was breathing heavily, concern written over his face. "Loki, are you alright? Does it hurt? We can stop now if you don't wish to continue, you don't hav-" 

Loki swiftly cut him off with a kiss, quick and sweet and loving. With his arms still wrapped tightly around him, he nuzzled into the crook of his neck. "Go on... It feels spectacular." 

Thor still didn't move. "You... you looked like you were passing out, or something." 

"Was not." 

"Was too," Thor looked him in the eye, his heart thumping in his chest. "I'll stop, I promise, if it hurts, or if you're dizzy, or something, don't be afraid to-"

"Hush. It doesn't hurt, not at all... in fact, I'd like it harder. And, I was just... thinking." He cleared his throat, and he pressed a kiss to Thor's cheek before nudging him in the back with a foot, trying to urge him to move again. His cunt was throbbing around the thick member, his own little cock bright red, leaking sticky precum on to his abdomen. 

Thor slid his hands up and down Loki's thighs, "You're sure?" 

"You wouldn't be balls deep in me if I wasn't." 

Thor couldn't help but smile at that, and gave a rough thrust that forced all the air from Loki's lungs in a rush, eyes going wide as he gave a moan with no air. He pulled and pushed again and again and again, building up speed and force. 

The thunderer was strong, powerful, and his thrusts soon showed that, Loki jerking with every pound he received, Thor's lips on his neck soon starting to leave hot and sloppy kisses over the pale skin. 

Thor was truly a work of art- even when covered in a thin layer of sweat, he was a masterpiece, his body one artists could only dream of capturing. His jaw was sharp and his smile one that was pure and beautiful, his eye a beautiful electric blue and his his shoulders broad. His chest was strong and his body was powerful, beautifully tan skin pulled tight over strong muscles, and though he was littered with scars, he was absolutely magnificent. A true god. 

Loki was jerked with every rough thrust into him, and gripped at Thor's shoulders for dear life, especially when the thunderer wrapped his arms around him and lifted him, bouncing him on his cock. 

"Thor-!" He gasped, the thunderer's movements rough, yet deliberate. He was trying to conquer, not destroy. Each time Loki sank to the hilt, he was sure he saw stars.

Thor's movements seem to change, however, when he laid Loki down once again, thrusting ruthlessly into his heat. He was quick and powerful- yet something was different- a hiccup in his thrusts told Loki exactly why, with his heavy breathing and occasional grunts and groans. He was close. 

But Loki was closer. And he was trying to push him off the edge. 

With each of his thrusts, he jerked, gasping and groaning and uttering his name, his cunt more sensitive than ever and his cock red and desperate to be touched. He was on the brink, his abdomen tight and his cunt contracting around him- 

In that short, ethereal moment, nothing else existed but the two of them. There was Thor, and there was Loki, joined as one for that beautiful yet temporary moment of pure bliss. 

"Thor...~" He'd practically moaned, eyes rolling back in his head as he arched his back, heart pounding in his ears. With a thick shaft so deep in him he could see the outline of his cock in his abdomen when he was arched like this, he came. His little cock came untouched, shooting white over his stomach, and his pretty little cunt tightened around the thunderer hard enough for Thor to come for a stop, somewhat fearing that if he continued pounding as he had been, he'd hurt the poor Jotun. With his diaphragm stiffened and his toes curled, Loki was the most beautiful thing in all of existence, trembling under Thor's body.

He watched Loki pant for breath, his chest rising and falling rapidly, head back in the pillows, eyes shut. And he watched him realize that Thor was still in him, still hard, pulsing inside of Loki's thoroughly fucked hole. 

Thor pulled about halfway out and thrusted back in, startling a little whimper from Loki's barely parted lips. 

"Is it too much? I can pull out, if you'd like..." 

Loki took a moment to even his breathing, swallow, and look Thor in the eye. "Come in me." 

"Are you- you're sure? You don't-"

"What, you think I can't take whatever you give out? I'm not fragile, Thor." He'd meant to growl it, though he was overstimulated and tired, and it came out as a whine. "Just be careful..."

Now, Thor leaned down to cradle Loki in his arms, pressing ever so gentle kisses up the crook of his neck. He was slow, careful, savouring every delicious touch. Loki, oversensitive from coming, shivered in his arms, nuzzling him lovingly, soft little noises escaping his barely parted lips.

Sure; being rough was always fun- but Thor always liked to end things more... intimately. With gentle touches, sweet nothings, and soft kisses here and there. 

"Loki," the name slipped from his lips as he shuddered, reaching down to take hold of the trickster's (once again) hardening cock, pressing careful and loving kisses across his jaw, eventually to his lips. 

"T-Thor, I need-" The trickster whimpered, 

"I know what you need," Thor whispered, breathily into his ear. 

He stroked the Jotun's cock as he made love to him- not fuck, he made love. This was not just for pleasure, not just to feel him, no, this was so much more. This was about love, the raw emotions, the ones that confused and scared and amazed them both.

Loki was oversensitive, overstimulated, and his pride had gone out the window long ago. Now, he was focused on his pleasure and the man above him. Nothing else could have ever mattered. 

Loki's moans were quiet to start- when they'd fucked before, it'd been rough, and the noises that had come from the trickster had been groans and gasps that were never meant to escape. But now, now Loki had barely any filter left, and the throbbing of his cunt was one he couldn't ignore. Every noise he allowed to escape was like music to Thor's ears, the thunderer saving every little sound. 

With one particularly deep thrust, Loki came again, shooting white over his stomach, clenching tight around Thor's thick cock as he held him close, moaning and spreading his legs as wide as he could for him, for Thor, for the first man to ever touch him in such a way, the first man to show him pleasure he didn't know existed. 

Thor's thrusts were slow, meaningful, drawn out and pleasurable. As he neared his own climax, he shuddered and kissed at his lover as he ground their hips together, uttering his name. 

Loki was stretched and full and ready. He looked desperate, begging with his eyes and his lips for Thor to fill him to the brim. His cunt was tight around the Thunderer as Thor came, his long, thick cock deep inside of him- big enough, that when Thor placed a hand on Loki's slippery abdomen, he could feel the tip of his own cock pulsing in him, filling him with spurt after spurt of come. 

The sensation of being filled sent Loki over the edge a third time, shivering and crying Thor's name as he contracted tightly around him, his stretched hole filled to the brim with his seed. White-hot electricity prickled at the trickster's skin. 

His eyelids fluttered shut, and the two of them panted for breath, rolling over so Loki would not be crushed when Thor collapsed into the sheets, instead having the trickster lay on his chest, the thunderer's cock still sheathed deep within him. 

No words were spoken. No words were necessary.

Thor caressed Loki like he was made of glass, holding him close as if to protect him from the horrors of the world. Loki simply rested there, his head on Thor's chest, listening to his heart as he closed his eyes and drifted between consciousness and sleep. None of them bothered to separate, or even just pull out- that connection was one that neither wanted to break. 

"I love you." 

The words were soft, and almost went unheard- a confession that Thor thought he'd never hear. 

The king did not respond with words, instead just beginning to play with his beautiful black hair, twirling it absentmindedly with his finger. Thor knew very well that Loki could read him like a book. There was nothing to say that hadn't already been said in actions. 

Without Loki, there would be no Thor. And without Thor, there would be no Loki.


	20. Chapter twenty

They'd rested like that for what must've been hours, until Loki's cunt had tightened around Thor's flaccid cock, and when Thor pulled out, he had to be slow and careful, having flipped Loki on to his back again. When the tip of his cock popped free, cum leaked from his abused little cunt, and when Thor curiously pressed a hand to Loki's abdomen, it dribbled from his hole and on to the sheets. 

"Do you know what you just did?" Loki whispered with a rather sly grin, propping himself up on his elbows.

Thor went pale. "Oh god. Wait. Can you get pregnant? Did I just-"

Loki almost laughed. "No. No, you cannot get me pregnant. But... you did just take my virginity." 

Thor looked like he'd just been smacked. "W... what?" 

"That was my first time." 

"But you said- you said that you'd-"

"Thor, you should know by now that I lie." Loki almost sighed, raising an eyebrow at the surprised looking thunderer who knelt before him. 

"You should've-" 

"What, I should've told you? Why? What good would that have done?" Loki sat up and offered Thor a hand, tugging him down once the thunderer took it. "Been gentler? You were plenty gentle when you needed to be, Thor... you made my first time a pleasurable one." And he'd ruined him for any other man. Seriously, how was anyone supposed to compete with that? Thor had thoroughly fucked him, hard and gentle, made him feel loved and wanted, and now Loki wasn't sure he'd ever even want a different man. 

With a snap of his fingers, loki was clean- though he left his cunt still full and dripping. He'd never admit it, but he loved feeling as full as he did. He adored having Thor's seed filling him so. 

Thor laid in the pillows beside him, and casually reached over to grab his hand, intertwining their fingers lovingly. "I should've been gentler." 

"You were fine." 

"I could've been gentler. I didn't have to come in you, either..." 

"I asked you to." 

"I shouldn't of..." 

"Quit beating yourself up," Loki hissed, "If I wanted you to know, I would've told you. I knew you'd have treated me different if I had. I lied to... to make you jealous." He paused, giving Thor a moment to think before continuing, "I lied, because I wanted you to take my virginity. Do you understand?"

Thor hummed in response, leaning over to press a kiss to his cheek. He left the bed for a moment, pulling on boxers before sliding up beside him once again. He then gave a slow sigh, reaching an arm around the trickster's shoulders, pulling him closer.

There was a lapse of silence, before Thor laughed, "Loki, we're over a thousand years old, how did you still have your virginity?" 

"I suffer from this horrible thing, called a tragic backstory. Tends to make things difficult. Especially after you try to take over your kingdom and all of Midgard, and end up being imprisoned for your crimes." 

"Even before that, Loki. I lost mine when I was... I think 900? I don't recall, but somewhere around there. A beautiful palace maid..." 

Loki gave a groan and elbowed Thor in the stomach. 

"You can try to show me up all you want, I don't regret my decision whatsoever. I mean, who was I to lose my virginity to, anyway? The grandmaster?" Loki shuddered at the thought. "He used my mouth as he pleased... that was bad enough. I'd rather not even think of... ugh." Loki placed a hand over his eyes, groaning as if in pain at the thought. "That man was... mad, in all the strangest possible ways. I may have my faults and my homicidal tendencies, but the Grandmaster took those to a whole new level. You're lucky you weren't there as long as I was..." 

"You looked happy there."

Loki was confused for a moment, "What?" 

"On Sakaar, with the Grandmaster and all that. You looked happy."  The thunderer whispered, scooting closer to cuddle up to his side.

Loki almost smiled. "I am good at lying my way through things, Brother." 

Thor shifted, resting his head on Loki's chest, a large hand ghosting it's way up to the valley of Loki's palm, sliding up to fit so perfectly between the trickster's aquiver digits. "Tell me the truth, Brother... do you want to have a life, with me? With Asgard?" 

Loki paused for a moment, pulling in a deep breath before bringing a hand up to rest it ever so carefully atop Thor's head, playing ever so gently with his hair. "What do you mean by that, Thor?" 

"Do you see yourself staying with us? With me?" Thor lifted his head, shifting closer to press his forehead to Loki's, allowing his eye to flutter shut. The trickster remained aware, keeping his eyes open as Thor continued in a mere whisper. "For some of your life, at least... I do. I see you living by my side, the two of us ruling Asgard together... In all honesty, Loki, I don't think I can do it alone. Even if you're slippery and manipulative, you're smart, and... you didn't burn down Asgard while I was gone. You invested in the arts," Thor almost laughed. "You've got good strategy... and even if you sometimes don't make the best decisions-"

"Debatable."

"Even it sometimes you don't make the best decisions, you aren't evil. You aren't exactly good either, but... you aren't evil. You're complicated. You're Loki." Thor paused for a moment, tilting his head until their lips met for a brief and gentle kiss. When he pulled back, his eye fluttered open and he whispered, "My Loki." 

Loki groaned something about feelings and pressed a hand to Thor's face, shoving him backwards as the thunderer boomed with laughter. "What? Can't I be affectionate?" He eventually managed to ask through his laughing. 

"I... I don't belong to you, you oaf," Loki growled, sitting up as Thor recollected himself, the King grinning as he laid down beside him once again. 

"No. But you're still my everything. Always have been, always will be." 

With that, Loki seemed to summon a dagger from thin air, bringing it down and into Thor's stomach. 

"Loki-!" Thor cried, curling up on himself, pain shooting through him- though after Thor's extreme reaction, Loki's fist unfurled and his hand stretched over the fresh wound. It disappeared as fast as it had appeared. 

The pain dissipated just as fast, and Loki pulled back his hand. Thor groaned, slowly uncurling as he sent a glare towards his brother, now on his side, facing away. "You've got to stop doing that..." 

Loki seemed distant- his eyes were glassy, and he seemed focused on where the rest of Thor's clothes laid on the floor in a dejected heap. The prince was dressed now, completely clean, green flowing robes covering most of him.

Thor laid there for a while in tense silence, rubbing a hand over where the imaginary injury had been, before he looked over his shoulder at the man behind him. Something in the way Loki tensed up when Thor shifted told him that the trickster needed comfort. Thor also knew that Loki would rather be flayed alive than admit it.

The thunderer shifted forward slowly, hesitantly, and pulled Loki into his chest, feeling his tense body relax against him in the shared warmth. 

Thor knew better than to ask what was wrong. Something was up, and Loki would tell him when he was ready for that. 

A deep shudder ran through the trickster's shoulders, and he began to shiver again, eyes prickling with tears. He bowed his head, hiding his face, and Thor knew then that he was crying. 

So suddenly, Loki had gotten emotional enough to shed a tear. Just what had happened? Had Thor done something wrong?

He tightened his hold on him, tugging him close, large hands rubbing over the little jotun's back to comfort him.

Loki cried. 

Then, there was the softest of sniffles, and a hesitant voice, one that was so quiet that Thor almost didn't hear. It sounded so unlike the prankster, such a quiet and emotional voice. 

"I do not deserve this." 

Thor was caught a bit off guard by that, though he said nothing, waiting for the trickster to elaborate. It would be best to listen first and speak later. 

Loki was silent, trembling in his arms for a long while, before a few more words came. The voice, still quiet and emotional, was now shaky. 

"I do not deserve you." 

A hand, which was usually so deft and clever, wavered as Loki reached around to hold him in return, fingertips pressing into Thor's shoulder blade. 

Thor hushed him, stroking his hair softly, watching him tremble. "You deserve the world, Loki." 

The little man only quivered worse at that, small sniffles becoming muffled whimpers and sobs. 

"I-I don't," He uttered, his voice tight as he struggled to keep it even, "I don't deserve the second chance I was given, nor you, nor the clothes on my back... I don't deserve any of this, Thor, I..." His voice cracked, and he pressed his face into Thor's chest, which significantly quieted his cries. "I don't deserve you." 

"Loki... don't be so hard on yourself..." 

"I'm not being hard on myself, I'm speaking the truth." Another sniffle, and Loki's fingers intertwined with Thor's. "I... I don't deserve your affection... I don't deserve the pleasure you grant me. I don't deserve your love. I've done terrible things, Thor, horrible things you can't even begin to fathom," he practically squeaked the last few words, trying so hard to keep his voice steady, not bothering to use seidr or silvertongue. 

"Loki, you deserve the world. You were manipulated, and broken, and... it's not your fault." 

"It is, Thor..." 

"It is not." Thor was firm, his words hushed, yet still strong. "You are not a villain, Loki. You've done bad things, yes, but those are in the past... and you regret them." He paused for a moment. "Right?" 

Loki was still for a while, with an exception of his shaking shoulders, until he nodded slowly, pressing his face into Thor's chest. 

"Right... listen well, Loki. You are... you are my everything," Thor whispered, nuzzling the top of the trickster's head, "We've lost everything, Asgard is almost gone... you're all I have left...  and in all honesty, Loki, that's enough." He pulled in a shaky breath, pressing a kiss to his forehead, "You're enough." 

Thor tugged him into his lap, the trickster stiffening against him as he broke down, a tear sliding down his cheek, then another, and another, as he struggled to stifle his sobs, his body wracked with his convulsive gasps and cries. 

Loki was never really one to cry in front of others, and when he did, it was never anything extreme, a simple tear or two that he was unable to hide. But now, now he broke down completely, squeezing Thor tightly as he pressed his face into his chest, crying for the first time in what felt like forever. 

"I-I don't deserve your love, Th-Thor, you're too good to me," everything was raw, raw tears, raw emotion, his filter gone completely as he spilled open, trembling with pure emotion. "I'm a monster, Thor, I've killed and tortured and-" 

He fell silent when Thor tilted his head upwards, shame pooling in the trickster's chest. 

Loki's eyes were glassy and his blinking lashes heavy with tears, his cheeks and nose flushed red. His lower lip trembled, though he was quiet, lips barely parted as he gazed up at the King. He was still for a moment, chest rising and falling shakily with every breath. He wept in silence now, tears streaming from his icy blue eyes, leaving tracks down his cheeks as looked up at the man he loved so dearly.

Thor felt something inside of him break. 

Big, shaking, calloused hands that were capable of so much hurt were now as gentle as they could be, caressing the sides of Loki's face while he swiped a thumb under one of the trickster's eyes,  catching a tear. 

"You are no monster, Loki." 

Thor's voice was quiet and unsteady, his electric blue eye suddenly glassy. 

"If anything... I do not deserve you." 

"D-do not speak to me like that. I... I am not worth it." 

"Stop. Stop. Stop..." Thor shook his head, his chest tight, his eye prickling with tears. 

He took a deep breath, allowing them to lapse into silence as he composed himself. Loki looked almost frightened, another tear streaming down his cheek, and he adverted his eyes, until Thor spoke again.

"If... if I were not... myself, but... the brightest... handsomest, best man on earth... and if I were free, I would... get down on my knees this minute, and... and ask you for your hand. And for your love," Thor's voice went up in pitch near the end of his sentence, as if to avoid having it crack. 

For the first time in many years, Loki wept tears of gratitude. 

Tears of tenderness. 

Tears of thanks. 

And glancing back up at Thor... oh, Thor... 

Loki found himself smiling.

Thor's hands were shaking terribly, even while holding Loki's face. They began to tremble especially so when Loki lifted his own to caress Thor's, swiping his thumb over the King's cheekbone to smear away a tear that had started on its path down his cheek.

The trickster was quick to pull him close then, pressing a desperate and shaky kiss to where the tear had been, covering his cheek in kisses, before his lips eventually made their way to the King's, and he pressed them together insistently, tears of joy streaking down their faces. 

There was something raw about it, pure and utter emotion that left Thor breathless. There were no facades, nothing fake or ingenuine. There was just Loki, Thor, and pure and utter love between them. 

When they broke apart, Thor's arms were wrapped tightly around the trickster, and Loki's were perhaps even tighter around the king. They were only an inch or so apart, lips still brushing when Thor uttered, "I love you." 

Loki then shifted down to press his face into Thor's chest again, listening to his strong heartbeat as he wept quietly in return, "I know..." 

Thor held his head, pressing a kiss to his dark hair. 

The trickster wiped his tears on the back of his hand, looking up at Thor, the powerful god, the king of Asgard, Thunderer. The only man who had ever truly loved him. The only man who'd never truly given up hope for him. The only man who was willing to give him a second chance, after everything he'd done. The only man who seemed to care about him in this wretched world.

"I love you too, Thor..." he practically whimpered, before he was shaken by sobs again, so unbelievably thankful to whatever divine being had made Thor to love him back. "I love you more than anything..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this shit made me feel lonely as fuck so y’all better appreciate it


	21. Chapter twenty one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve just realized that the chapter names are a complete mess, but then again, so is this entire fic and my life, so. Shrug. It’s not like I’m going to fix it. Have some fucking anGST bc I feel like shit.

Loki, although back on their ship, with air conditioning and comfortable clothing, along with wonderful blankets and soft pillows, in a safe environment, couldn't manage to sleep a wink. 

It didn't help that Thor snored, and tossed and turned while he slept. And it also didn't help that his stomach would roar with hunger what seemed like every few seconds. And so, when he finally managed to fall asleep, of course, he didn't stay that way long, even with Albin cuddled up to his side. 

And after such a sleepless night, of course, the very next day they had to discuss the planet and they Hamadryads they'd found. 

Thor had allowed the trickster to drape himself rather dramatically over his throne, the thunderer choosing to stand instead while Loki struggled to keep awake. In the control room, everyone worked on their respective things while they had the conversation. 

"So, what's the planet like? Safe?" Banner has asked, eyebrows raised. 

"It's safe, from what we could tell. Hamadryads were the only creatures we encountered other than a few small fish in an underground lake." Thor was glad that the back of his throne was so wide- he was able to absentmindedly play with Loki's hair while they spoke. The gentle touches did nothing but lure the trickster closer to sleep. "And the Hamadryads were perfectly friendly. The only thing we're worried about is the heat, and the fact they're in a food shortage as well."

"A food shortage? Did you find out why?" 

"Disease, I believe..." Loki uttered, "And an infestation of grasshopper-type creatures destroyed a lot of the crops..." he gave a yawn, sitting up and taking a moment to straighten up his hair before peaking over the top of the throne at the people around him, "I spoke with the king of the Hamadryads, and they seemed perfectly alright with the idea of having us inhabit the planet, however their foods are... acidic, and lack the nutrients we need. And we'd have to genetically modify most of their flora for it to have the nutritional value of Aesir-suitable food... Thor and I had one meal down there, and though we both ate plenty, we were hungry within an hour at the most, and we both felt rather drained... you know, midgardian fast food? Imagine eating that every day, for every meal. The root vegetables we ate down there were very similar... though, they tasted like vegetables instead of delicious, artificial delicacies." 

He sunk down into the throne, finding a comfortable position to lounge in again. 

Banner looked disgusted by the thought of eating fast food all the time, though the rest of them seemed unfazed by it. 

"...Alright. You said the temperatures were high?" Valkyrie questioned.

"Far too high." Loki had a hand over his forehead, draped over the throne, dressed in nothing but black. The dramatic little twink answered in a rather bored and tired tone, "They were in their summer-like season, where we landed... it must've been almost fifty Celsius. I spoke with the king about winters, and they don't get very cold... you know, Asgard's climat was very similar to that of Greece, and where we landed was very similar to that country, latitude wise. The planet is, in general, hot. Far too hot. It would take multiple generations to adapt to the climat." 

Heimdall leaned on his sword, golden eyes flickering between Thor and where the voice had come from. "What about the Hamadryads?"

"Very fine people, sophisticated and intelligent, despite living in a rock. I'd like to consider them somewhat similar to various ancient midgardian societies... Aztec is what comes to mind first, though without the sacrifices. I'll have to look into it. While they are woodland spirits, their trees and such are built into the rock in which they live... it's complicated." Loki shrugged, giving a slow sigh, eyes squeezed shut. "They were friendly, though Laverne was the only one to speak any English. Their main language is something I've never heard of, but Laverne and a few dozen others spoke french, as well." 

"Laverne?" 

"The king. Their king... such a complicated and interesting society..."

The three pairs of eyes shifted to Thor, eyebrows raised, though Heimdall was the one to break the silence. "Well, your highness? The decision is yours. Are we to inhabit this planet?" 

"If it's too hot, that'll be a problem." 

"Even if they've got problems with their crops, isn't some food better than no food?" 

Thor gave a tense sigh, leaning against the back of his throne. 

Loki tugged on his pant leg, "Make a decision, Thor..." then, he whispered, "Remember everything I told you... make an educated decision." 

"How can we trust him?" Banner demanded, "How can we be sure that Loki isn't lying? Isn't that what he does best? We can't trust him." 

The trickster gave a soft laugh from behind the throne, not even bothering to open his eyes. "You may not trust me... but he does." A pale hand came into view, pointing at the king. "Think about it for a moment, numbskull... what would I gain from influencing the King's decisions? There is no way I can benefit anymore than any of you... all I can do is act as a translator, and hope for the best." 

Thor had a hand over his eyes, and looked rather tense, giving a groan of frustration. "I have made my decision..." 

The room fell silent around him, and he lowered his hand, eyes remaining on the ground in front of him as he crossed his arms. "We cannot inhabit that planet. We have to keep looking... we'll keep it as a last resort." 

The room was then filled with noise, Valkyrie giving a groan, Banner starting to argue with her and Heimdall trying to convince him out of it. The thunderer held up a hand to stop the chaos, pinching the bridge of his nose to attempt to relieve the pressure. The room fell silent once again. 

Loki was the one to break the silence. "You're all so noisy," he groaned, peaking up from behind the throne, crossing his arms to lean on them. "Listen, the planet isn't quite suitable for us as is. It's far too hot, crops are dying... not to mention, there is a constant cloud cover, which means no sun. Asgard can not thrive on that planet." 

"Thank you, Loki..." Thor uttered, looking rather irritated. "How many days do we have left, approximately? Of food?" 

"An estimated twenty six." Heimdall answered, golden eyes adverted to the floor. "The people are irritated, some refuse to work... we need to find a place, Thor. Anywhere. We're starving them. We have no choice." 

Thor turned to peer down at Loki, "Can't you just, magic up some-"

"That's not how it works, and you know it." 

Thor sighed, turning to face the other three once again. "What are the portions like?" 

"The people have been restricted to one full day, though children, elders and pregnant mothers are exceptions."

As if on cue, Loki's stomach growled rather loudly, and he peaked up from behind the throne to grumble, "Maybe if we hadn't had all those feasts after defeating Hela, we'd be in a better position now." 

Thor growled, and reached back to half-heartedly smack the trickster with the back of his hand. "Know your place, Brother." 

Loki snacked his hand much harder than Thor had smacked him. "Don't order me around like some peasant, you ape."

"I am your king, you weak Jotun, and you will do as I say." 

Loki was shaken from the insult, though it aided to fuel his burning anger. "I may be a 'lowly' prince, but I will not surrender my freedom of speech to save your bruised ego from anymore hurt. You can't order me around like some slave of yours, Thor! I will not be bullied by my own brother simply because he inherited the throne!" 

"Listen well, Jotun," Thor hissed, turning so his body was square with the trickster's. "You will keep your mouth shut and behave, do you understand me? Or there will be consequences far worse than anything you've experience to date, you monster." The words were harsh and forceful, and sent a shiver down Loki's spine. 

"Guys, now really isn't the time-" Bruce had started to say, though he was cut off when a knife was flung his way, embedding itself into the wall a few inches away from his head. "Nevermind." 

"Oh, so you're threatening me now?" Loki hissed, "Wonderful. I'm so happy to have you on the god damned throne of Asgard, a man who uses threats of violence to get what he wants! You're nothing but a bully who inherited power!" 

Thor took him by the collar, eye sparking with rage, and lifted the prankster off his feet, Loki's eyes going wide like a deer in the headlights as he gripped at Thor's hands. Still, he managed to scoff, "Y-you're doing nothing but proving my point, you numbskull, y-you can't solve things with words, and you know it!" 

"You're walking a fine line, trickster. I will not hesitate to chain you up and lock you away just as our father did."

"Your father," Loki practically croaked, deft hands prying at Thor's solid grip. "It's unsurprising that you're taking after that abusive man-" 

"He wasn't abusive!" Thor growled,

"Maybe not to you! That man is the reason I did the terrible things I did! H-he ruined my life! If h-he had been a better father, n-none if this would have happened,"

Loki's eyes were glassy, and his breathing was shaky, his hands pulling at Thor's. The others in the room were completely silent, watching in confusion and fear. 

Thor's grip was like a vice, and so Loki settled for a different idea, bringing his foot up to kick Thor in the groin. The thunderer released him immediately, and Loki fell backwards, over the back of the throne, landing on the floor with his cape over his head. 

The Jotun was shaking as he hid behind the throne, his heart in his throat. Thor was never this harsh, not with his brother. 

"You're a fool," Loki uttered, "A god damned bloodthirsty fool who shouldn't be in power." 

"You're a mass murderer who shouldn't be allowed to speak." Thor spat, finally managing to stand up straight again. "I gave you a second chance, Jotun. Do not make me revoke it. I will not hesitate to chain you up and shoot you off of this ship. Banishment is still an option." 

"You wouldn't dare." Loki hissed, pulling himself to his feet, keeping the throne between them. "You don't have the nerve. You love me, and you-"

"Say that again and I'll kick you in your pathetic little cunt." 

The others in the room seemed almost as shocked as Loki, though Thor didn't seem to notice. The trickster remained hiding behind the throne, his throat tight and his eyes glassy. He was silent. Completely silent. 

The king turned to face the others, "What's the closest inhabitable planet to here? We need to find someplace with food as soon as possible." Thor uttered, clearing his throat, righting himself and leaning against the back of the throne.

"Um... The closest planet would be... here," Valkyrie tapped the screen of the panel she was sat at, and the room darkened as a projection was brought up, showing a large blue planet with green sections here and there. "It's mostly water, but that means fish. There are islands scattered here and there... The oceans aren't very deep, nowhere near as deep as Midgard's." 

Thor watched as the planet turned, nodding slowly, "How long would it take for us to get there? Start the course now. I'll assemble an exploration team." 

Loki didn't look, didn't even bother to peak above the back of the throne. He was still trying to comprehend the fact that Thor had used his race to insult him, had revealed to the others that he was intersex. That Thor, the only man he'd ever really learnt to trust, had insulted him and threatened him, because he, what? He stood up for himself? He didn't let Thor push him around as he always did? His heart was still pounding, fear tightening his throat. He'd trusted Thor with everything, and now... he wasn't sure he could trust him at all, after he'd used his secret against him, targeted his weak spot, humiliated him in front of others. He'd threatened him with violence, held him up by he collar. Thor had said he'd loved him a mere hour ago, how was this the same man?

Loki felt shaken, disturbed- he wasn't sure what to do anymore. Thor had called him weak. Used his race as an insult. Threatened him. Sure, they'd insulted each other before, had vicious arguments where they spat venom at each other. But now, it felt too real, too serious, and Loki hadn't done anything to deserve such harsh treatment, at least not in his own mind.

Thor had called him a monster.

His eyes had begun to prickle then, oncoming tears striking even more fear into the trickster. They couldn't see him cry. No one could see him cry. 

A simple and easy plan was all he could think up in the time he had, but it had worked, the trickster dissolving into thin air as he snuck past Thor on light feet, completely transparent as he made his way to the door. No one heard or saw him whatsoever, until the door gave its mechanic groan as it slid open for him. 

As soon as it had, he was sprinting, the attention of those in the room drawn to the door being opened so unexpectedly. 

"What was that?" 

"Probably just a malfunction... I'll look into it," Bruce sighed, grabbing his little box of tools, making his way over to the door. 

Thor, however, was suspicious- and when he looked over the back of his throne, finding it empty, his suspicions were confirmed. "I wouldn't worry about it, it's probably nothing." 

Guilt began to pool in his stomach. Was Loki angry at him? That wasn't even a question, of course he was. Why wouldn't he be? Thor had threatened him and called him names, and...

But the trickster would understand, right? Thor couldn't have anyone disrespect him, and he could make no exception for Loki when others were around. Heimdall didn't believe that Thor could control his brother, he had to show him otherwise.

Still, Thor felt guilty. Especially for the insults he'd used, how angry he'd gotten. How he'd grabbed him by the collar and lifted him off his feet. Loki had looked so scared, the thought made Thor feel dizzy. 

"Right..." Thor uttered, "Are we finished here?" 

Valkyrie shrugged, "I suppose so... it'll take about six hours to get to the planet. Chose your exploration team wisely."

"Is it going to be hot?" 

"Not overly so... it should be fine." 

Thor nodded, and with that, he left the room, chasing after the invisible trickster. God, he'd made a mistake. A big, big mistake.


	22. Chapter Twenty Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> emo shit

Thor's heart was pounding in his ears, and it was becoming difficult to breathe as he sprinted down the halls, people turning to gawk as his heavy footfalls echoed, arms pumping and strong legs working harder than they had in a long time. 

Loki, find Loki. 

Not in their shared room. Not in the bar. Not with Albin. 

Thor had ran up and down the ship, searching everywhere for his brother, whom he'd insulted and threatened and done so wrong. 

He'd been off in search of the dining hall when he'd found him. He'd entered the wrong room, finding himself not in the dining hall, no- in the room that brought back terrible memories, and a choking fear crawling up his throat. The room with the pool.  

"Loki?" 

He was relieved when he laid eyes on the trickster, curled up with his arms on his knees, beside the pool. His inky black hair hid his face, but did not hide the way he trembled, the way his shoulders shook with every breath. He cried silent tears as Thor slowly approached, keeping his distance. "Loki..." 

The trickster did not respond. He merely tucked his hair out of his face, revealing the way his red eyes glistened with tears and the way the drops followed the markings he wore, dripping down his chin. 

"Loki, I-" he'd begun to step forward, but then the Jotun held up a hand, silencing the thunderer, and stopping him in his tracks. 

"I don't need your apology, asgardian." His words were cold, yet held a certain rawness. "I know why you did it." 

Thor gave a relieved sigh. "I'm glad you understand, but Listen, Loki, I-" 

"What? Are you going to insult me again? Threaten me?" The Jotun hissed, turning to face him, his heartbreak morphing to sudden rage. "Belittle me like you always have? Treat me like a child? Threaten to kick me in my pathetic little cunt again?" 

Thor began to walk forward again, "Loki, I-" 

"Don't." He growled through clenched teeth, eyes glassy with tears. "Don't come any closer. I don't trust you anymore." 

Thor stopped in his tracks once again, his outstretched hand falling back to his side. 

"I'm sorry, Loki..." 

"I don't want your damned apology... I don't want your love. I don't know if it's genuine anymore." Loki shivered and shuddered, doing his very best to keep his words steady and his crying quiet. "You and your... your stupid pride... that's what this is about... that's why you lashed out. You couldn't let yourself be taken down in front of others... because they don't think you're capable. They don't think you can keep me in line." 

Thor was still, chest rising and falling slowly as he tried to catch his breath after running so much. Loki looked so small, so scared, curled up so tight by the side of the pool. 

"You should've let me drown. Anyone else would've. Why didn't you?" 

Thor's words were quiet, hesitant, as if anything he said could shatter the fragile trickster. "I love you." 

Loki said nothing. He merely shook his head. He couldn't believe him anymore, not after the sheer anger he'd seen in Thor's eyes when he'd had him by the collar.

"I do, Loki, I love you..." 

"Do you, now? Is that why you insulted me, threatened me, and held me up by the collar as you humiliated me in front of your friends?" Loki's voice quivered as he spoke at first, but the louder and angrier he got, the steadier his words became. "Is that why you called me weak, pathetic? Used my race as an insult against me? Threatened to banish me, chain me up and shoot me off the ship? Threatened to kick me in my pathetic little cunt?! Treated me with utmost cruelty?!"

He was standing now, red eyes burning with rage, his skin a deep dark blue, shaking hands balled up into fists at his sides. His words were like venom. "If that's what your love is like, I don't want it! Putting me down in front of others, just to kiss at my feet when we're alone! What a wonderful love story!" Tears rolled down his cheeks, chest shaking with each wracking breath, "You're just like your god damned father, manipulating me and using me for personal gain! Do you hear me, Brother?! DO YOU HEAR ME?!" 

Thor took a step back, eyes wide, "Loki, I never meant to-" 

"YOU CALLED ME A MONSTER!" He bellowed, eyes aflame, his teeth barred, "I TRUSTED YOU WITH ALL I HAD AND YOU TWISTED IT AGAINST ME! YOU INSULTED AND THREATENED ME FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR GOD DAMNED BRUISED EGO! YOU CALLED ME NAMES AND YOU HELD ME BY THE COLLAR AND YOU- YOU HUMILIATED ME IN FRONT OF- ...don't you dare, don't you fucking dare-" 

He was cut off by Thor's tight arms around him, holding him against his body in a rather forced embrace while Loki banged his fists on his back, cursing and swearing into his armour as he struggled. He was scared, trembling so horribly in Thor's arms, his movements quick and desperate as he tried to escape. "No, no, no, let me go, let me-"

"Loki, Loki, listen to me," Thor begged, squeezing him tight and trying to ignore all the thrashing the trickster was doing. "I'm sorry, Loki, I know you don't want to hear it but I am so, so sorry." 

"You're right, I don't want to hear it! I don't want your apologies, I don't want to feel things for you again and pretend everything is alright just for you to humiliate me again! Just for you to insult and threaten me again!" He was sobbing now, struggling against Thor's embrace, icy tears streaking down his cheeks. "I don't want your meaningless apology, I don't... I d-don't want you to... I don't..."

Loki didn't bother to finish saying what he'd begun to, in his rawest state as he leaned up against Thor's armoured chest, desperate for his touch yet so very terrified of the idea.

"Loki, everything I did was wrong." Thor uttered, strong arms keeping Loki trapped against him. "Everything I said and did was absolutely horrible... I insulted you, said things that were untrue, threatened you..." he sucked in a shaky breath, holding it for a moment before uttering in a rather pained tone, "And I don't expect you to forgive me anytime soon... but please, just... just let me say what I need to." 

Loki did not respond, trembling in Thor's grasp just as he had been when the thunderer had held him up by the collar.

"What I said was terrible, Loki...  
Absolutely horrid, and you didn't deserve a word of it. I... I have no excuse. I was completely and utterly cruel and unfeeling in the moment, and... it showed. It was completely and utterly inappropriate..." the thunderer moved a hand from his back to his head, his grasp no longer forceful- now, it was gentle and soothing. "I was trying to keep my image a good one. Especially in front of my friends... none of them believe that I'll be able to keep control of you... and the truth is, they're right in believing that. I was wrong to insult you and put you down, Loki... and I'm sorry. I... I am sleep deprived and stressed, not to mention hungry, as are you, I'm sure... and I was desperate to prove to my friends that I could control you... or at least, make them believe I could..."

The trickster was stiff in his hold, his shoulders shaking with every breath he took. He was cold and blue, and that was alright with Thor.

"My image is not worth losing you over." 

Thor pressed a kiss to the top of his head, and Loki proceeded to stab him in the shoulder, Thor bitting back a curse that had threatened to slip out. He grit his teeth until Loki eased up on the pain, smoothing a hand over the effected area to heal him. 

"I-I'm sorry, Loki."

Loki tried to pull back, though gave up after a few seconds of weak struggling. He was drained, empty, and scared.   
"I..." His voice was quiet, emotional. "I can't forgive you. Or at least, I shouldn't..." 

Thor gave a soft sigh, nodding slowly. He said nothing, cradling Loki close as he sunk to his knees, Loki doing the same. The trickster's arms were loose around him, and Thor's heart ached in result. He was limp in Thor's grasp.

Loki whimpered into his chest, "I can't trust you... you aren't predictable anymore..." 

There was a moment of quiet, before Thor whispered a quiet and solemn, "I trust you." 

When Thor released him, loosening his arm enough for Loki to escape, the trickster did not move, leaning against the thunderer's chest. 

"I trust you a lot more than I should, Loki." 

Loki's skin paled, the blue fading away until he was milky white once again, his eyes the usual blue- though now, they looked dull and sad. He shifted away, pulling out of Thor's grasp.

And in one last retaliation out of rage, Loki grabbed the thunderer by the chest plate and shoved him into the pool.

Thor, caught completely off guard, caused a great splash when he hit the water. He flapped his arms and struggled until he broke the surface, gasping and reaching out to grab the side of the pool, sputtering and coughing. 

Loki offered him a hand, only for the thunderer to yank him into the pool, landing in the water with a cry and a splash, only him to come up with arms flailing madly in a desperate attempt to keep afloat. He grabbed on to Thor to try and keep himself up, though that resulted in them both disappearing below the water. Thanks to Thor's sheer and utter strength, however, he managed to swim up to resurface once again, the two of them spluttering and coughing together as the thunderer grabbed on to the side of the pool to stay up. He pushed Loki against the side, keeping them up by clinging to the wall of the pool. 

"W-why would you do that, why would you-" 

"You pushed me first-!" 

"You idiot, I didn't-" 

Thor silenced him with a kiss, rough and quick and loving. When he pulled back, his breathing was still heavy and laboured, and his eyes looked almost desperate. Loki wasn't sure if he was crying or if he just still had water dripping down his face. "I love you, Loki, god, I love you with every fibre of my being."

"You're an absolute buffoon."

"I know," Thor laughed. But when he spoke again, he was collected and serious, looking Loki in the eye. Because they were squished against the side of the pool, their faces were close, even though Loki was sort of recoiling away. "Listen, Loki, I... I was cruel. I was willing to do anything to get them to believe that I could somewhat control you... and every bit of this is my fault. Can we... can we make a promise, Loki? If I break it, you're free to stab me as many times as you want, and I won't fight back." 

Loki softened a bit at that, though he still looked extremely hesitant. "What.. what sort of promise are we talking about...?"

"I promise that I will never say anything as cruel as what was said today to you again." Thor leaned a bit closer, pressing his forehead to Loki's. Loki did not recoil or shift back, instead just closing his eyes. "In return, I'd like you to promise me to be on your best behaviour when Valkyrie, Banner and Heimdall are around. Alright?" 

Thor was somewhat surprised that he was not stabbed then. 

"...Alright." 

Thor couldn't help but smile. "I solemnly swear that I will treat you with respect, no matter what." He promised, his words hushed. "Your turn." 

"I solemnly swear that no matter how much of an asshole you are when around others, I will be on my best behaviour and treat you with respect, no matter what." Loki's words almost sounded sarcastic, though in his mind, he was cementing these promises down. He would hold Thor to his word until the day they died. 

Loki stayed still and stiff as Thor pressed a kiss to his cheek. 

"You know, Loki..." Thor had started to whisper, a smile on his lips as he pulled back the slightest bit, still keeping Loki against the side of the pool with his body. "We are going to a planet that's mostly water... perhaps we should learn to swim, or at least perfect the skill." 

Loki narrowed his eyes at him, but did not protest the idea. "What would be the first step?"

"Learning to tread water without panicking or looking like a fool," Thor explained with a laugh, their bodies close. "It should be simple enough... and we can save each other if need be. It'll be... it'll be a trust building exercise." 

"I..." Loki had been about to say something, though he fell silent when Thor grabbed him by the hips and lifted him on to the side of the pool. "...Can you swim, Thor?" 

"...somewhat, yes. I swam to rescue you, the last time we were here. I was in such an adrenaline-fuelled state, I managed to swim to the bottom, then back up with you in my arms." Thor pushed off from the side, kicking his legs steadily, using his arms almost to try to part the water in front of him, propelling him forward. "It isn't too difficult... father taught me how, in the bath, once, but I'm not very good at it..." 

Loki's rather irritated look solidified. "Father never taught me to swim. Then again, father didn't teach me much." 

Thor swam back over, giving him a bit of a sad smile. "Come, there is a shallower end where you'll be able to stand. I can teach you everything I know... by the time we leave, we'll have this down to an art," he laughed, and began to swim towards the shallow end, Loki standing and walking along with him.

Soon enough, Loki was standing at the edge of the far end of the pool, looking down into the water. It was crystal clear, beautiful, and Thor stood where it came up to his hips, reaching up to offer a hand to the trickster. 

Loki took his hand. 

Thor lead him down the steps, farther and farther into the water. It was cool, which Loki liked, though he did not like the memories this place brought back. 

Thor only released his hand once they were both on the same level, the water up to their hips. 

"Let's start with something simple... how about the arm motions? Those are easy enough." Thor leaned over to press a kiss to Loki's cheek before dipping down low enough for him to have his arms and shoulders in the water. 

"It's as if you're parting the water. See? Father called it the breaststroke. I remember, because I couldn't stop laughing at the word breasts." Thor looked up at him with a grin, "Copy my movements." 

Loki glared down at him, before looking down at the water, shifting his hands, watching the way the water reacted to his every move.

And he proceeded to splash Thor, sending a wave of water over him. "Ha!" 

Thor gave a bit of an irritated groan, standing up and splashing back at him. "I'm trying to help! What if something goes wrong, when we're on that planet? What if... what if you fall into the water, and I'm not there to help?" 

"I just won't go." 

"No, Loki, I need you there. You're... you're the brains. You're the real negotiator. I mean, remember the Hamadryads?"

"Yes, Thor. That was yesterday." Loki deadpanned, raising a dark eyebrow at the man beside him. The two of them were still fully clothed, and soaking wet. 

"You were so good with them, Loki." Thor continued, reaching out to take his hands in his own. Loki allowed him to. "You could actually understand what they were saying, and it's thanks to you that we learned so much about them and their planet. You're the whole reason we now have good relations with them." 

"I was doing what anyone else would." 

Thor almost laughed at that. "Loki, you're an expert at getting what you want. I need you. Asgard needs you."

Loki still looked sceptical, but eventually he gave a sigh, sliding his hands out of Thor's so he was able to snap his fingers, a shimmer of green rolling over him and Thor. Then, they were dressed in nothing but simple shorts, flowy things that allowed them to move freely, and weren't uncomfortable when wet. Thor heard the doors lock behind them. 

"Fine... Teach me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took me 12 years to publish oops


	23. Chapter twenty three

Loki had learned to love swimming. The weightlessness, the freedom, the quiet, the cool water on his skin- it was an amazing thing. His most favourite thing to do, however, was to just rest, floating on his back with his arms and legs spread. It was peaceful, and Loki loved to just lay there, staring at the ceiling.

Thor, however, had other ideas, sliding up behind him to press a kiss to his collar, then another, then another, growing sloppier the farther he made it up his neck. 

"Thor..." Loki groaned, kicking down his legs to stand up, the thunderer using that to his advantage, the rough scrape of his beard against the trickster's rather sensitive skin causing him to shiver. 

"You know, Loki, we do have a few hours before we have to go," he purred, leaving kisses up and over his skin, licking and sucking and leaving dark marks over him. "How about we spend some time in the hot tub...?"

"I'm a Jotun, Thor," Loki deadpanned, trying to ignore the anxiety building in his chest. "I'd probably end up sick." 

"Nonsense, Loki... can't you use your Jotun powers or something to cool the water down?" 

"My Jotun 'powers' won't do a thing. Though I do have a spell that could build up my heat immunity..." Loki sighed, "Fine. But I'm tired, you must carry me if you want me to go so desperately, I need to save my energy for the exploration mission."

Thor gave a soft laugh, lifting Loki over his shoulder in a fireman's carry as he climbed the stairs, crossing the room to get to the hot tub. He placed Loki on his feet right at the side of it, never removing his hand from his waist. "Did you do the spell thing?"

"Yes, Thor. Get in."

Thor took his hand, offering a smile as he lead him into the water, eyes very obviously lingering over his body. Loki scowled at the heat- even with the spell, it still was too hot, even if it relaxed his muscles and he felt rather nice.

Thor pressed a kiss to his jaw with a cheeky smile. "I love you," he purred, trailing sloppy kisses over his body.

Thor's hands explored him, touching and feeling his cool skin, flushing red under his large hands. two big fingers pinched at one of Loki's nipples, and the man just about gasped. "Thor, you-" 

"Hush... I owe you one, Loki," he whispered, words heavy and husky against his throat. "I want to make you feel good." 

"Thor, I-" the thunderer was in front of him now, and had claimed his mouth with his own, tongue pushing in and taking him deep while a strong hand played with his sensitive chest. 

No. 

The word was clear as day in Loki's head, yet he couldn't put it into words, mostly because of Thor's tongue practically down his throat. 

No. He didn't want this. Not now. 

He was pushed up against the side of the pool, legs spread wide by powerful hands that didn't seem to notice the way that Loki trembled, the way he had tried to keep his thighs shut. 

A firm hand on his chest, and Loki shoved him away, the thunderer stumbling back in the water. "No, Thor. No."

The thunderer looked confused for a moment, and Loki mused that perhaps this was the first time he'd been denied. 

"What?"

"I don't want this, not now, not here." 

Thor took a moment almost to process, before he nodded slowly, backing away with hands up, turning to sit beside Loki on the ledge he was perched on. "That's, uh, that's... that's okay!" Thor smiled his usual bright grin, giving Loki a thump on the back. He seemed very much like he wanted to ask why, but he kept his mouth shut. 

"I... I don't feel comfortable with being that close yet. After what was said earlier, you'll need to earn my trust back. I'm not sorry." 

"You don't need an excuse to say no, Loki." Thor's words were understanding, and Loki was almost caught off guard by it. "You don't want to. That's all I need to know. I shouldn't have tried anything to begin with." 

Loki kept his eyes towards the water, shifting back to sit on the edge of the pool, only his legs in the hot tub. Thor remained in the water, leaning back with his arms over the sides, looking up at him with a smile. "I love you, Loki." 

Loki said nothing in return, remaining quiet. 

There was a moment of tense silence that stretched on for what felt like hours, until the Public Announcement system made its signature screech, Banner's voice following it soon after; 

"Thor and his exploration team, to the orgy ship." 

There was inaudible shouting, and then Banner continued, 

"Sorry, I meant exploration ship. Exploration team to the exploration ship. Sorry! I'm so sorry-" 

Thor went pale, smacking the water out of anger with himself as he swore rather loudly. 

Loki raised an eyebrow, and flinched away, watching the thunderer calm down and groan, pressing a hand to his head. "I forgot to gather an exploration team..." 

"You... you forgot. You forgot." Loki was completely and utterly astonished by Thor's stupidity. "How can you just forget to gather an exploration team?"

"It doesn't matter, what matters is now we have to gather one in the span of about ten minutes." 

Loki shook his head, standing and snapping his fingers so they were both dressed properly. "Nope. I've got to prepare for the journey, grab my things. Prepare for the worst." He winked at him, before turning on his heels, waving goodbye, "Make sure no one on the team is out for my head." 

With that, the door was unlocked, and Loki was out, leaving it open behind him as he strutted down the hallways as if he owned the place, as usual. Thor was left sitting at the edge of the pool, grumbling about his own mistakes. 

————

"So, you forgot to gather a team." 

"No, no. Can't you see I've got my team all put together?" 

Thor stood with his arms out, a dorkish smile on his face. By his sides stood Loki, facepalming, Korg, grinning, and Miek, snipping his scissor hands in excitement. 

"There's four of you." Heimdall had his arms crossed, looking rather unimpressed. 

"Well, there could be... there could be seven. Loki, Me, Korg, Miek... and you, Banner and Valkyrie."

"We have to stay here and man the ship, numbskull." Valkyrie practically growled, arms crossed. "Besides, it's dangerous enough to have you on the exploration team." 

There was a tense silence, until banner gave a bit of a sigh. "I can go." 

Thor lit up like a Christmas tree, "Perfect! See, now we have five! That's enough of an exploration team, right?" 

Heimdall shook his head, although he uttered, "Fine... but if there's even the slightest bit of trouble, you're to fly right back up, do you hear me?" 

And with that, Heimdall stepped out of the entranceway of the ship, allowing The party to board.


	24. Chapter twenty four

Loki was their pilot. None of the others actually knew how to fly the plane, and since Valkyrie, their former pilot, was staying on the ship, Loki was trusted with the crucial duty of flying down and landing. 

And of course, it didn't go well. Especially not with Thor trying to backseat drive, hovering just over his shoulder.

"Easy, we're coming in fast." 

"I know that, Thor, can't you see what I'm trying to do?" 

"No, I don't. I never do. You aren't predictable anymore." 

Loki pulled his hands back, levelling them out once again before doing another dive, slowly but surely making their way down to the surface of the planet- and all was going well. 

"You're doing it wrong." Thor hissed,

"I'm doing it right, Thor, back off," Loki growled in retaliation, turning to look at him while his hands worked on autopilot, "Unless you think you can pilot better than me, I suggest you take your seat." 

"I can and will pilot better than you, just watch," Thor challenged, and in a reckless attempt to prove it, he practically started to wrestle the man for the controls. 

"No, no, Thor, don't, I'm trying to-"  the balance shifted as the ship took a hard turn, diving and pulling up, Loki desperate to keep the controls while Thor was desperate to be in control. 

When Thor finally managed to shove Loki out of the way, his eyes went wide and his heart was in his throat, as their ship was rapidly approaching a rather large rock face. 

With a hard tug, the ship was vertical with it, the bottom of it scraping the wall, sparks flying and the whole ship screeching the entire way up, every crew member screaming. 

When they reached the top, he levelled them out, though ended up plowing through tree upon tree upon tree until the ship came to a stuttering halt, having left tracks, smoking and on fire in several places. 

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but you should've let the homicidal maniac fly it," Banner panted, eyes as wide as dinner plates, so extremely glad he was buckled in, unlike the trickster. 

Loki, after being thrown from the controls, was clinging to the back of Bruce's chair much like a spooked cat, nails digging in, looking rather terrified. "I hate you."

"I hate you too, brother." 

When Thor tried to lift the ship once again, it stuttered, though slowly rose above the trees. 

"Try not to fly us through the trees again, bro, that didn't work so well last time," Korg chimed in, and Miek snipped his scissors in agreement. 

Thor pushed hands forward a little too fast, and the ship lurched forward, racing across the treetops at a rather excessive speed, the whole crew back to screaming as Thor almost drove them into another mountain, the reaction time of the ship delayed quite a bit thanks to the trees and the skidding up the rock face.

As if to make things worse, it was then that the Out Of Fuel light clicked on, and the ship began to sputter out, hitting the side of a mountain at full speed, enough speed to tear open the door, the wind howling and threatening to suck them out. 

Loki, who had already been holding on for dear life, was now struggling to keep hold, the entire ship shaking as it rammed into thing after thing, a stray tree branch knocking Korg's chair out of the ship, a rock knocking off one of Miek's scissor hands. 

The scenery changed rather unexpectedly then, from tropical mountains and forests to sandy dunes and crystal clear waters. 

Thor was thrown from the controls when the ship's nose hit a sand dune, and they began to flip, Banner gripping the armrests of his chair so tight his knuckles were white as he screamed along with Miek. 

Thor was knocked unconscious when he was smacked against the wall of the ship, tumbling like a rag doll as the ship turned over dune after dune. 

Loki was long gone by then, having slipped off of the chair and hit a few walls before he was tossed out of the open doorway. 

Thor fell out of the ship only a few flips before it came to a complete stop mere meters away from the crystal clear waters, the unconscious thunderer laying limp in the sand. 

Only when they were halted did Banner and Miek stop screaming.

There was a moment of shocked silence, where the human did his best to process what has just happened, before he reached down and clicked the buckle of his seatbelt, slowly and surely getting on to his feet, knees buckling underneath him. "Thor?" 

No response. 

The team was completely scattered. Korg had been thrown first after a tree branch had knocked his chair out of the ship, and Loki had been tossed out second, having let go of the chair and hit a few walls before he was thrown out of the open door. Thor had been next, falling out unconscious in the sand. Miek and Banner were together in the wreck of the ship, shocked and scared, the ship broke and burning in multiple places.

"Oh, god." 

They were stuck. The orgy ship was their only ship, and without it... 

They were deserted on that planet, and no one would no to come rescue them, as their radio was trashed and their ship was fairly broken and without fuel. 

"Thor!" Bruce shouted, stumbling out of the ship, just about falling on his ass several times. Miek scampered after him, staying close, and Banner turned to him to say, "We have to stick together. Being alone on a desert planet  is definitely not a good thing. Stay close."

Bruce was probably the only one who'd left the crash relatively unscathed, a bit bruised here and there, but overall alright. It was a miracle he hadn't been killed. It was also a miracle that the hulk hadn't returned. It had taken him far too much to become Banner again after the fight on the bridge, and being the hulk here... it would've ended badly, to say the least. 

Miek had lost one of his scissor hands, so it was a good thing that he was somewhat robotic. It hadn't hurt to lose his hand, although it did suck to be scissor-hand-less.

"Thor!" Bruce shouted, shuffling through the sand while Miek did his very best to keep up. There was of course, no response to his cries. 

When he slid down a fairly mountain out sand dune, he gave a shout of joy as he laid eyes on the thunderer, though his joy soon turned to concern. "Thor?" 

He raced as fast as he could through the sand, Miek close behind. Thor was unmoving, though definitely alive, and Bruce was glad to see that as he rolled him on to his back, eyeing him over. The thunderer was rather beat up, though he seemed generally alright, even with blood running down his face from where he'd smacked his head and apparently cut it as well. It wasn't too bad- in fact, it looked like it had already healed up. The blood was the only sigh he'd had the injury. 

"Thor?" Bruce grabbed hold of his shoulder, his clothes ripped and singed in places, and shook him, trying to wake him, "Thor, come on, we don't have time for this." 

The thunderer's eye fluttered open then, though it took a long moment for him to actually regain consciousness, when he did, he was definitely still Thor. "It's not my fault, I just... wanted to try to pilot, and Loki wouldn't let me..." 

Bruce gave a sigh of relief, closing his eyes and flopping back into the sand. "Thank god you're alright! I thought I'd be the only survivor, with my luck." 

Thor sat up slow, the light causing his head to pound. "God... where are we? Where..." he went pale, eyes wide and frantic, "Where is Loki?" 

When Bruce didn't answer immediately, the thunderer was on his feet in seconds, looking around desperately, before he spotted the trenches in the sand the ship had made and began to race towards them, sprinting at full speed. 

"That's towards the ship! You're going the wrong way!" 

Bruce was on his feet again in an instant, and although he was scared and shaky, he raced after Thor as fast as he could as he begun to run the other way, towards the forest, towards the mountains and the tracks they'd made. Towards, hopefully, Korg and Loki.


	25. Chapter twenty five

She was dressed in what she'd worn that fateful night, blue robes with silver armour, clean and beautiful and brilliant, just as she had been. Her hair was half braided up, while half flowed down her back, bright eyes calculating and intelligent as she looked over the man who stood in front of him. She looked so alive and real, her smile genuine.

"You've changed, Loki." 

"You haven't, mother." 

Loki bowed his head in respect as Frigga took a few steps forward, a familiar hand finding its way to the back of his neck. It was soft and warm and god, Loki found his heart aching so terribly.  

"I've missed you, my son... your hair has gotten so long," she almost laughed, and Loki tilted his head up, meeting her eyes with his own. "You've gotten a lot stronger... bigger, body wise. You used to be so small, look at you now... oh, you've all grown up." She covered her mouth with her hand as she looked him up and down, Loki finding himself almost smiling. 

"You're just as beautiful as the last time I saw you, mother..." his words were just above a whisper, eyes glassy as she pulled him close, her touch feeling so real and wonderful and comforting as she held him in her loving embrace. "I've missed you dearly."

When Frigga pulled back, her smile was bright and cunning and it made Loki ache even worse. 

"It's my fault." He uttered, adverting his eyes, "It's all my fault, I shouldn't have-" 

"Hush, Loki. My death was not your fault," She promised, "No one is at fault but me... now, do you know why you're here?" 

"I- I'm dying, aren't I?" Loki found himself almost whimpering, "I'm dying, that's why I'm seeing you. Or am I already dead?"

"You're dying, but that's nothing to be afraid of. It isn't your time, not yet. That's why I'm here to speak with you." Her voice was soft and loving, and her hands on his shoulders were perhaps even more so. 

"You didn't speak with me when I was drowning." Loki came to the sudden realization rather quickly, eyes wide as his brain went a mile a minute. "That must mean-" 

"There was no point in speaking to you when there was nothing to say. I could have waited until you joined me, with how close you were. But now... now is much more urgent. Now, it's up to you wether you live or die, not necessarily up to the actions of others. Now is not your time."

Loki fell silent. All his life, he'd wished for death, never really been afraid of it, but now... now, he was shaking, sweating, and terrified. He didn't want to go. 

"I want to live," he decided, "You said it yourself, it's not my time. I want to stay with... with Asgard, and Thor, and..." 

Frigga smiled, warm arms pulling her son close, "Then promise me, Loki, do not move from where you are. Your brother will find you, I promise." 

"Why must it always be Thor who runs to my rescue? Why can't he be close to death, and I run in to rescue him? These past few weeks have been like a poorly-written drama." 

//because that's exactly what this is.\\\

"You're still recovering, and yet you're constantly being thrown into danger. Don't forget, you're a frost giant. Heat affects you, A lot more than it does him." She brought him down and pressed his head to her heart, which was eerily silent, "You need to follow my instructions exactly, and stay strong. Don't remove it, no matter how much you want to." She didn't explain what she was referring to. "I love you, my son. Now, listen. And learn." 

———————

Korg was unhurt by the impact, simply a little shaken up. He gathered up his broken pieces and had soon enough started on his way, though it must've been only a few minutes that he'd been walking before he'd come across something... strange. Something he wasn't surprised to find, though was still caught a little bit off guard by. 

There was a man in a tree. Just dangling there, limp as a rag doll, draped over a branch. It was a miracle his spine or many ribs hadn't snapped, if he'd hit the tree in that position. 

He was perfectly balanced and perfectly still, with an exception of his shaking back each time it rose and fell. 

His dark hair shrouded his face, his skin pale and his blood a dark crimson as it trailed down his arm, slid down his palm and his fingers, eventually dripping down on to the ground, staining a beautiful white wildflower a deep red. 

It was Loki. And he looked dead. 

Eyes closed and body limp, he was laying languid over the thick branch, each breath he took shaky and weak. 

He may not have been dead, but he was dying. 

"Hey, bro," Korg whispered, taking a few heavy steps through the brush, approaching slowly, as if Loki might've posed a threat. "Bro, are you dead?" 

No response. 

"Bro?"

The branch was at least twelve feet up, far too high for even Korg to reach. "Are you stuck? Maybe if I hit the tree hard enough, it'll knock you out of it." 

"Loki!" Thor's booming voice was always easy to hear, and even Korg, who didn't have ears, could hear him. It was accompanied by a softer, "Korg!" From Banner, and clicks from Miek. 

"Over here!" Korg shouted, "And the greasy one, too."

The sound of underbrush being trampled over was soon to follow, along with heavy, running footfall and panting breaths. "Korg! Loki!" Thor shouted, and emerged first from the long grass, looking rather crazed, "Korg, Thank god you're alright, where's-..." 

Thor was choked up with immediate dread and panic, eyes as wide as dinner plates and his whole body shaking as he came to a stop. 

There he was. 

Loki. 

The god of mischief, hung over the branch of a tree, blood dripping down from him. He was unmoving. 

Thor on the other hand moved lightening fast, having jumped and grabbed the branch, pulling himself up beside Loki. "Loki," he reached over to grab his shoulder, shaking him ever so slightly. 

When he received no response, he ordered the men who were watching in interest, "Stand underneath him, I'll push him off. Catch him." 

Banner scurried over, as did Korg, and they did their best to stand with arms open. Miek figured it would probably be best to not try to catch the man, as he had scissors for hands.

Thor shook his shoulder again, crawling farther on to the branch, and sucked in a deep breath before he pushed him off the branch, only letting out his air after he'd been caught by Banner and Korg. Even if Korg was made of rocks, at least he helped. 

They lowered him to the ground as Thor jumped from the tree, heart in his throat as he smacked the others away, ever so carefully turning him over...

Blood. 

Blood was all he saw for a terrifying, horrendous moment. 

He was practically soaked with it, pale skin stained with it, his clothes clinging to his body. 

Thor didn't see it, at first- the gentle and shaky rise and fall of his chest, even with the jagged piece of the ship right underneath his rib cage, piercing his skin and muscles and body in general, stabbed through his stomach. All he saw was blood, and the fact his brother was unresponsive, eyes closed and lips barely parted, looking pale and almost tinged blue. 

It was deep in him, barely sticking out anymore- it'd been shoved through him when he'd hit the tree, having hit it with enough force for the jagged chunk of metal about the size of a slice of bread to be forced through his body. It was a messy sight to see.

Thor's shaking hands were then placed on his body, feeling around slowly, gently, searching for the source of the blood, until- sharp, cold metal was what he felt with the tips of his fingers. 

He grabbed it between his thumb and fingers and-

"Don't!" Banner smacked him away, "D-don't, he'll bleed out further. We have to leave it until we get him back to the ship, I took some of Tony's patches from the quinjet, they should work for now." 

Thor turned to look at him, prepared to throat punch him for coming near him and his brother, although he visibly relaxed a bit when he realized that Banner had 7 phDs, and was probably right. 

"Get him back to the ship..." Thor uttered, "Move him...? Can we risk it?" 

"He's a frost giant or whatever, right? He'll probably be fine." Banner pat the thunderer on the back, taking a few deep breaths before instructing him, "We gotta carry him. Can you do that? Make sure you don't move him too much, try to keep him flat, uh... maybe we can make a stretcher or something. We need to keep him flat, moving him too much could damage him further." 

—————————

When Loki regained consciousness, the first thing he noticed was the sky above him. 

It was black as ink, a dark canvas sprinkled with stars above him. He knew something was wrong, then. When they'd first entered the atmosphere and such it was day where they'd come to land. 

It was then that he noticed the pain, stemming from his stomach, sharp and blinding and terribly constant, his vision wavering from such an overwhelming hurt.

A shaky hand lifted ever so carefully, feeling around, finding himself wet with blood, until-

The chunk was pointy, and dug into his hand a bit as he grabbed it. It was cold and slippery, covered in blood. 

It was then he remembered his mother's words. His mothers kind face, soft voice, and her instructions. 

No matter how much pain it caused him, he could not remove it. It would kill him. 

He groaned then, the pain extreme and his skin hot as he lifted his head, muscles tight and his head throbbing as he tried to look around, to no avail. He was far too sore to move. It was then he heard voices, familiar ones, hushed ones. "Lower him down, slow, slowly, Thor."

"I'm trying, I know." 

"Is he going to be okay?" 

"He'll be fine, we just have to get the chunk out, and the patch on. I just hope it works for asgardians, or frost people, or... whatever he is." 

"Frost giant. He's a frost giant. They're... like bigger, colder humans." 

"Like cold asgardians?" 

"No, no, asgardians are far better. Frost giants are giants, Loki is just miniature. And Frost giants are blue, and cold, and intersex, and-" 

"So Loki is intersex?" 

Loki was set down then, eyes barely open as he listened to the conversation, uttering in a rather irritated tone, "That's none of your business..." 

There was almost a gasp, and Thor came into view, "You're conscious!" 

"Yes, I'm conscious, you... you oaf..." he groaned, finally finding the strength to prop himself up on his elbows, the world swaying in front of him, pain shooting up from the wound in his abdomen, a cry escaping his lips as his vision turned red and he flopped back, Thor reaching forward to catch his head. He stuttered rather weakly, desperately, "G-get the patch, get the-"

"Don't move, don't move..." Thor whispered, glancing to Bruce, who got the message after a few confused moments, scrambling to his feet to run to the wreck of the ship. 

He'd been through a lot worse, Loki kept telling himself, though with the world spinning around him and a hand gripping Thor's wrist so tight his knuckles were turning white, he was doubting that fact. "Thor, this is why you shouldn't pilot... ever..." 

Thor almost laughed at that, though he was looking pained himself, pale and shaky. "I know, I... I just wanted to prove myself, or something... something stupid like that, it wasn't worth it," he was almost swaying, looking rather weak, a rather distant look in his eye.

"Thor... did you hit your head...? Y-you look f-..." Loki trailed off as his vision doubled and he became rather dizzy, doing his very best to stay conscious. He knew very well that if he fell asleep now, it would be unlikely he ever awoke. He cleared his throat and tried again, "Y-you look faint..." 

"I... yes, I was knocked unconscious before I fell out of the ship. You were as well, I assume- you were out for a while- Stay with me, Loki, stay..." he sounded forceful towards the end, breathing shaky as he cradled the trickster close to him, "Banner, we don't have all day!" 

"I know, I know, I'm coming," Bruce came into view then, with something in his hands, something that neither of the Asgardians had ever seen, and a pair of scissors. 

Banner put down the patch, looking over Loki's bloody clothes for a long moment, before he began to cut away at it, revealing the pale, blood tainted skin of his strong body. He cut out most of the shirt, making sure to cut around where the fabric was pinned in him by the metal. When he was finished, Loki's abdomen was bare and it was easy to see every wound he had. 

Other than being pretty banged up, Loki had two wounds where the skin had been broken- the one with the slice of metal, and another, smaller one to the right of his belly button, where a stick had pierced him.

"Okay, Thor, we've got to be fast, alright? You pull out the chunk and the twig, and I'll put on the patch." 

Thor separated himself from the trickster, looking down at his shaking hands, at the dying man before him. The dying man who he loved so dearly.   
The dying man who was all he had left.   
The dying man who's chest was struggling to rise and fall, who was bleeding out rather quickly. "Got it. Anything else?" 

"Has it gone through him completely? If it has, it'll make things a lot more complicated..." 

Loki gave a groan, and grit his teeth, bearing the pain as he forced himself up into a sitting position, resisting the urge to scream with everything he had, "Lay back down!" Thor ordered, suddenly looking frantic with how pale the trickster had become from sitting up, big hands grabbing his shoulders and forcing him down as gently as he could. "We're good, it's fine, it hasn't gone through, let's just.... let's just do it, now..." 

"T-Thor, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I- I love y-" Loki had begun to whimper, though he was cut off when blood had crept up his throat, and he was left coughing, chest convulsing as he struggled to speak or breathe or at least stop coughing.

"At the count of three?" Bruce offered, stretching out the patch in his nervous hands. 

"One." Thor uttered.

Loki was already weak and dizzy- god, he was not looking forward to more pain. He did his very best to take deep breaths, stay calm. 

"Two." Bruce added.

He tasted nothing but iron and felt nothing but pain, and the world was spinning a bit too much for his liking. Thor and Bruce locked eyes, before- 

"Three." 

Loki didn't even have the time to scream before the deed was done, both the twig and the slice of metal ripped from his body before the patch was smoothed over his abdomen and the cold, empty holes in him were suddenly filled like honey on hot bread. His cry was caught in his throat, blood filling his mouth as he turned on to his side and spluttered until there was no more. 

He took a deep breath, then another. 

He was no longer bleeding. He could almost feel his body healing, nerves and flesh and veins stitching themselves back together, the black, scaly patch of futuristic technology covering his abdomen, fitting him like a glove. The bloodied chunk of metal and the stick were now in Thor's hands, Thor's shaking hands. 

But, he was not miraculously healed. He was shaky, pale, weak, still tinged blue, as his magic was weak and he was contemplating taking it down. Eventually, he did let his facade fall, and he collapsed on to his side, blue and shaking with each breath he took. 

Thor looked down at the metal in his hand, at the bloodied twig. The metal disk was about the size of a CD, somewhat square, most likely a part of the ship that had been ripped off and torn to pieces. 

The trickster was shivering, eyes squeezed shut as he forced himself on to his hands and knees, and Thor moves towards him, dropping the metal and the twig to help him stand, "Loki, Loki, easy, go easy," he whispered, holding him close. 

It was then that Loki, blue and cold, fell into him, collapsing once again, this time into Thor's arms as he passed out completely. Thor glanced down at Bruce, then up at the dark, starry sky- and he lifted Loki into his arms, bridal-carrying him into the wreck of the ship, Korg and Miek having set a fire just outside of it. They'd already set up make-shift beds inside, covering up the hole where the doors had been with a a makeshift wooden door of driftwood and leaves they'd strung together. 

Thor laid him ever so gently in a long hammock, smoothing back his hair and making sure he'd be comfortable, shaking chest rising and falling with each breath. He looked peaceful, the patch having initiated a forced sleep to make healing him easier. He would awake from his medically-induced coma when his life was no longer at risk.

Thor knelt beside him, hands clasped together, pressed to his lips- and he prayed. He prayed for his mother, his father, for Loki, for the fate of their group that had been stranded on the planet with no way off, no chance of rescue, not unless Heimdall chose to bring the entire ship down to save them, which could land them in even more trouble. He prayed for the Avengers, back on earth, praying they were working hard to find and destroy the infinity stones. He prayed for Jane, that she'd got the chance to live a normal, happy life. 

He didn't know who he was praying to, but he prayed. He prayed for Loki. He prayed for everyone.


	26. Chapter twenty six

Thor awoke with his head pounding. He'd fallen asleep on the floor of the ship, beside where Loki lay in slumber safely in the hammock he'd been placed in. The Asgardian didn't even bother trying to sit up, simply squeezing his eye shut, trying to block the light with a hand. The light was not helping his throbbing headache. 

He was dizzy, too. God, just how hard had he hit his head? 

"Thor?" It was Bruce, creeping closer slowly, carefully, "Thor, don't move. You've got a concussion, you have to sleep." His words were quiet, a rushed whisper, as if speaking any louder would cause a reaction that Bruce really didn't want. 

"Banner, I have to get up, we have to-" 

"I know, I know, time is running short when it comes to food supplies on the ship, but... Miek and Korg seem fairly on-task, sometimes, and... you're hurt, both you and Loki are the most hurt of all of us. You gotta rest."

"I can't rest, Banner, the fate of Asgard is-" He sat up a little too fast, head spinning and vision wavering dangerously, "Oh..." 

Bruce forced him slowly back down, pushing his shoulders back until he was laying. "You can't save Asgard until you can stand without getting dizzy."

"Don't tell me what I can and can not do," Thor hissed through clenched teeth, eyes squeezed shut.

It was then that there was movement, the hammock Loki was positioned in rocking ever so slightly after he'd shifted his arm. The grunt that slid past his lips was one that has done so unconsciously, somewhat quiet yet still there. He was waking, albeit slowly, and as soon as he'd made the slightest of movements Thor was slowly and steadily shifting to look at him, to press a hand to his forehead, to look over the once-black patch. 

The patch, which had been pitch black and scaly the last time he'd seen it, was now a pearly white with pink undertones. The scaliness of it gone completely, as if they'd all melted together to form the white metallic sheet that sealed his wounds. 

"Don't touch it." Bruce almost ordered, as if he'd read Thor's mind. "Or him, for that matter. You can't force him awake, he has to wake up on his own." The man placed a hand on Thor's shoulder, and it was then that the thunderer finally grasped the reality of their situation. 

Bruce's clothes were burned and sliced in many different sections and in many different ways. They were definitely broken, now- yet he still wore them. They were all he had, currently. What choice did he have? Thor's clothes weren't much better. Loki was only wearing leather pants. 

The ship they were resting in was all but destroyed. The tide had somehow pushed it far enough into shore for it to be just about in grass, Korg having then decided to pull it on to the grass so they'd have somewhere softer to lay. The top had been ripped off, but most of the walls were intact, and it was no longer on fire. The doorway they'd sealed up with parts of leaves and branches to make a door that was good enough to keep the animals out. Inside, they'd hung hammocks from emergency blankets, and although they were noisy, they were sturdy and warm, even if they were a little bit tight. Korg and Miek had chosen to sleep in beds of grass instead, as Korg was too big for their hammocks and Miek did not want to puncture one. 

They were not in good shape. Korg was a bit pointy after some chunks had broken off, Miek was missing a hand, Bruce was fairly bruised. Thor had a fairly bad concussion. And Loki had been stabbed. Sure, he'd survived a stabbing before, but that was with a knife thing. Loki was good with knife things. And he wasn't taken off guard by that knife thing. He could easily manipulate that- but how was he supposed to anticipate and manipulate a random piece of the ship that was about to puncture him?

Nonetheless, they had to have hope. They had to make a plan. And they had to find a way off of that planet. 

"Are you hungry?" Bruce asked, voice suddenly soft and a hand on Thor's shoulder. The thunderer had taken his armour off to sleep, and was now shirtless, his chest strong and tan and fairly bruised. Thor found himself nodding, letting out a shaky breath as he glanced back at Loki, who was still unconscious. 

"There's a lot of food here, and we've found a waterfall with clean, cold water. It's like a tropical paradise... without the animals. The only animals we've found were birds, and Korg saw what looked like a monkey." Bruce stood, shuffling over to the door to push past it, disappearing for a few moments before he slipped back through with a fresh mango in his hand. "All of the food here is the same as on earth, and most of the other plant-life is the same too. It's... it's almost perfect. It's like earth, if humans never evolved."

Thor took a moment, after catching the mango that Bruce had tossed him, to think about what earth might be like without the cities full of people. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen much of earth lately, just concrete and buildings that reached up towards the sky and hundreds of thousands of people. 

He turned his gaze then down to the fruit in his hands, turning it over, obviously a bit confused. "How am I supposed to..."

"Most people peel it, and just eat the inside... the very middle is a little bit tough, though. You can probably eat the outside, but it'll be a little bit tough." 

Thor stood, slowly, wavering a bit as he tried to focus and steady his vision, managing to stay upright and still for a moment before he managed to stumble over to a compartment, where he forced it open and pulled out a knife.

He flicked it open, leaning against the wall as he looked down at his quivering hand, the knife shaking in his grasp. It began to tremble even worse as he tried to steady it, pressing it against the skin of the mango. 

Bruce was in front of him before Thor could register it, uttering something about being a danger to himself as he took the knife and the fruit, starting to cut it for him. Thor watched with interest, juices leaking from under his fingers and his knife, experienced and deft hand carving the mango up. 

"You need to rest, Thor, go sit down, at least. Don't make me tell you again." Bruce had tried to sound authoritative, though it didn't quite work. He forced half the mango into his grasp, keeping the other half for himself, "This is my toll for having to carve the mango for you. I'll get you a drink of water if you need to, but-" 

He fell silent when he was forced to catch the half of the fruit he'd given him, Thor having turned and practically jumped towards Loki, catching him around the chest. He'd been half-out of the hammock, just about to slip and fall the rest of the way out. He laid him back in the hammock, the trickster groaning sharply at having been caught so roughly. 

"Y...you prick, couldn't you have done that a bit more gentle?" He hissed, words breathy and quiet. He was pale, chest rising shakily each time he sucked in a breath.

Thor did not release him, strong arms circling him firmly, taking a moment to just feel his breathing and how warm he was and how weak he felt in his grasp. 

"Call me what you want, I caught you," Thor half-chuckled, words just as quiet as they could be. "Lay back, relax, you're injured..." 

"I can't," he protested, "I can't lay here and be injured, I- there's a storm coming, I can feel it, and-" he tried to sit up against Thor, maybe try to push past him, though all he did was bring them closer and cause his vision to sway dangerously and his face to pale, the thunderer uttering a hushed "No," as he held him, "Stay with me, it's okay," 

When Loki finally relaxed completely in his arms, Thor retracted them, going back into his kneeling position at his side, a still-trembling hand finding Loki's smaller, paler hand, which was not shaking near as badly. 

"You look rather unwell, Brother," Loki almost chuckled, though it seemed to pain him a bit. 

"I could say the very same to you." Thor's head was still pounding, vision blurring here and there, yet he was completely and utterly focused on Loki and nothing else. 

The two of them were a complete mess, but that did not stop Loki from shakily caressing Thor's face, and it did not stop Thor from doing the same.

"There's a storm coming," Loki warned, "I feel it, it's... we need to prepare." 

With no roof on their ship, a storm was definitely bad news. 

"How the hell can you feel a storm, Loki?" 

"Hail." The Frostgiant deadpanned.

"...oh." 

"What about you, god of thunder?" The trickster ran a thumb over Thor's cheek, a smile gracing his pale features, "Can't you feel it?"

Through his pounding headache, his blurred vision, dizziness, nausea, etc... now that he thought about it, he could. And it was no small shower. It was a storm, with thunder and lightening and rain and hail. "It'll be hard to protect ourselves from something that big. How are we to seal the entire top of the ship?"

The top had been ripped off in the centre mostly, the somewhat circular hole probably about five meters in diameter. It was a sizeable tear, and they had maximum five hours to seal it and make sure it was hail and rain proof.

Banner, who was sitting in the captain's chair, face full of mango, piped up, "Hey, I can probably get our communications system up and running again, even if just for a little bit. Give me a couple hours and I can send a message to the ship that this is a planet with food and no known predators."

If they could get the main ship down, they'd have shelter and medical help, and they wouldn't have to worry about sealing the hole or anything like that. 

"They'd never come down. Heimdall would never let them. Speaking of Heimdall, why hasn't he transported us back?" 

"Maybe he's... not strong enough? Usually he has the bifrost, Perhaps he can't bring up multiple people without it. Not to mention, we're all scattered around... maybe if we all huddled together and called him?" 

"Korg! Miek!" Bruce called, standing and wiping his sticky hands on his tattered pants, making his way over to where Thor and Loki were. The rock man made his way in, barely fitting through the door, Miek following close behind. 

"Hey, bro, what's up?"

"Come stand with us." 

And so, they all stood together, in the same general vicinity, and Thor shouted, "HEIMDALL! Take us home!" 

Nothing. They stood in silence for a long, awkward moment. 

"Try again," Loki ushered, 

"HEIMDALL! Now would be a good time!" 

Nothing. 

Thor gave an irritated sigh, looking up towards the sky with a rather angry look, "Heimdall, at least look through my eye and tell me what to do." 

————————

Heimdall the All Seeing had been sleeping, sat in one of the chairs in the control room, having dozed off, Valkyrie and the others working in there far too afraid to wake him. He'd been startled awake, however, by the second shout of his name, sitting up a bit straighter. 

Thor. Loki. Banner. Korg. Miek. 

His eyes turned green as Loki's turned golden, and the man was able to see through the trickster's eyes, the trickster able to do the same. 

"You're stranded." He uttered, the words ringing in Loki's head. 

"Yes, we have been for probably about a day. Thor, our great and wonderful king," The sorcerer uttered with great sarcasm, "Crashed the ship and injured half of us. There's a storm coming, a serious one, and our ship has a hole in the roof big enough to render it unsafe..."

Loki looked around the control room, at Valkyrie and the few other people who stared, and sent a deadly glare their way until they'd returned to what they'd been doing. 

Heimdall looked at Thor, who was on his knees at the side of the hammock, practically swaying in the breeze, looking pale and weak. Banner was bruised and burnt, though relatively intact. Miek was missing a hand and Korg was a bit smaller from being a bit bashed up. He looked down at the body he was in, with the pearly patch over his pale abdomen, laying in a hammock. 

"What is the planet like?" 

"So far, we've found no dangerous predators, and plenty of fresh food and water, along with a field that would be suitable for landing in. It's perfect, with an exception of the fact we're trapped here."

"Why didn't you use me? You always use me." Thor almost whined, looking up into Loki's golden eyes.

"You only have one eye." Loki growled, before going back to the conversation, "I'm far too weak to use Seidr to close the hole in the top, Thor can barely walk. Having the hole open could spell serious danger for all of us, and we have maximum four hours left to seal it with only Korg, Miek and Bruce." 

"What was the cause of the crash?" 

"Thor wanting to take control, and then being a bad pilot. We also ran out of fuel." 

One of Loki's hands, which was surprisingly still, reached up and felt the side of the ship. 

"The ship is beyond hope, I assume?" 

"Far beyond hope... reparation would take six months at least, even with the proper marierais." 

Thor got close to Loki, caressing his cheek and turning his head ever so gently until they were face to face. "Heimdall, this is the miracle planet we've been looking for. Banner says it's similar to Midgard, except if humans never evolved. They've got edible food and a proper climat, and everything should be perfect. This is the closest thing to Asgard we've found." 

Loki blinked. Heimdall replied to him, "What is your point, your highness?"

That's right. Thor was king. No one could boss him around. His word was law. 

"My point is, this will be the new Asgard. Land in the field by where we're camped, and have medical staff ready for all of us. That is an order." 

"What do you mean, Thor?" Bruce sounded a bit confused almost. 

Thor released Loki's face, standing slowly, before he turned, chest puffed out proudly and his shoulders square, 

"I've chosen this planet. This world will be the new Asgard."


	27. Chapter 27

In the hour that they awaited for Heimdall to land the ship, the five of them stayed close together, chatting and laughing, somehow all of them in a good mood. Even Loki found himself smiling and adding to the conversation every now and again, though his main focus was on Thor, who was knelt in front of his hammock, leaning back a bit so Loki could play with his hair. 

"And then, I took my hammer, and I bashed him in the back of the knee! He wasn't injured, he just sort if crumpled, but he was still all 'Aaaaaaaah!' and that's the story of how seven year old Thor was strong enough to take down Heimdall the All Seeing."

"Don't you think perhaps he was pretending, Thor? People tend to do that so as to not crush the aspirations of children." Loki's comment earned a laugh from a few of the men, now all sitting around them, in a sort of mini circle. 

"Well, there was no worry of crushing my aspirations. I aspired to be a Valkyrie when I was young." The small crowd burst out laughing, and Thor seemed rather confused by that. "What's so funny? The Valkyrie were a powerful force of women with big swords and winged horses, and they were badass. I wanted to join them and swing my sword and sit atop a pearly white winged horse. I aspired to be apart of the strongest and most powerful group of warriors in Asgard." 

They continued laughing, and even Loki gave a bit of a chuckle, twirling blond hair around a finger. "You and your aspirations, Brother..."

"What? What did you want to be when you grew up, hm? A witch?" Thor teased, reaching back to poke him in the arm. 

"I wanted to be successful, I suppose. In my own sense of the word. I always wanted to earn the respect of those around me... be treated like an equal, or superior." Truthfully, he did, though he also had other aspirations, such as being a snake. He liked to think he'd succeeded in at least that.

"I wanted to be a boulder." Korg chimed in. 

Their little group burst out into laughter, only to stop when Loki began to cough, clutching at the white patch on his abdomen, the beautiful pearly aspect of it drained away. The sheet was snowy white, as was the trickster's skin in comparison to the crimson he'd coughed up. Blood stained his chin and his hand, and his eyes went wide when he caught sight of it, as did the multiple sets of eyes on him. 

"HEIMDALL!" Thor bellowed, looking up to the sky with a suddenly very panicked look to him. 

Bruce's eyes turned golden this time around, and the man looked so extremely confused and somewhat scared, "Wait, Wait, what-"

"Yes, your highness?" 

"We need you to land as soon as possible. It's an emergency." Thor was quite obviously doing his very best to keep his voice steady, chest rising and falling rapidly as he attempted to stay calm and take deeper breaths. He leaned close to Bruce as he spoke, taking him by the shoulders rather firmly. 

"I apologize, your highness, but-" 

"But what? It's an emergency! I order you to land! I- I command you, Heimdall!" Thor was growling it now, hands trembling as he shook Bruce's shoulders as if trying to shake some sense into Heimdall. 

"We are unable to land, your highness. I will not allow it. In absence of a king or any heir to the throne besides your adopted son, I control Asgard. And we will not be landing." 

The silence that followed was so tense that you could've cut the air with a knife. 

"I... I am king," Thor held Bruce tight, his entire body shaking, "And you will do as I say. You will land our ship, and we will make this Asgard. Allow me to speak to Valkyrie!" 

"Our ship is damaged and would not survive entering the atmosphere in its current state, nor would it survive the storm. We are to find the nearest planet on which to refuel and acquire a suitable craft, which we will then use to rescue you all from the surface. We are not landing, and that is final." Heimdall's tone was firm, and he was sure of himself. 

"You're committing treason." Thor growled, "I'll have you arrested for this. I'll have you locked up, and-" 

"Your highness, if I may-" Bruce interjected, "Hasn't he committed treason, like, three times now or something? Four? I think this is the fourth time." 

"It's not treason if you're the only functional member of the government." Loki practically wheezed. 

Miek snipped his remaining scissor hand in agreement, and Korg added in, "That is true, bro."

"Your highness." Heimdall sounded tired, rather fed up with Thor's and everyone else's bullshit, to be frank. "I am acting in the best interest of Asgard as a whole. I understand your group is wounded and unwell, but having you on that planet for one more day is a small sacrifice to pay for the good of the people. If your planet truly is fit for Asgard, you should be able to survive for a day without our help. Forage the land, seek shelter throughout the storm, and be the leader your group needs. Make your father proud." 

With that, Bruce's eyes returned to their normal colour, a dark, soft brown. He looked rather confused, and then fear set in once again as he blinked a few times, eyes finally focusing on the large man who was gripping him hard enough for his hands to have gone numb. "Thor?"

The thunderer released him then, looking absolutely devastated. 

A day. 

it may not have seemed like such a long time, but for them, it would be. 

"We have to find shelter," were the thunderer's first words, "A cave, preferably, somewhere out of the wind and the rain. We can't afford to get wet, we almost froze to death last night as it was. We'd all be gone within an hour if we got wet." The man stood, glancing around their little ship, or at least what was left of it, "We need to grab everything we need and find proper shelter before that storm hits." 

"How are we supposed to find a cave now?" Loki practically groaned, looking fairly defeated where he lay, attempting to wipe the blood from his chin and his lips. "We have... what, five hours? Four? Caves don't just magically appear. They're hard to come by in general, I mean, how are we..." 

"Actually, bro, I saw a cave when I first fell out of the ship. It isn't too far away from here. We could probably be there in twenty minutes if we pack up fast." Korg offered a smile, Miek making incomprehensible noises, Korg gladly translating; "Miek says he saw it too, and he bets we can get there even faster." 

Bruce, Loki, and Thor were left gawking, eyes wide and mouths open, before everyone seemed to jump to action, Loki even doing his very best to stand and start to take down his hammock, laying it out as spread out as possible so the others could lay the things they required in it, eventually settling down in the one of the chairs to recover from actually having to move. 

It was probably about ten minutes later that Thor was double checking every compartment for things they might have forgotten, Bruce tying up the blanket and hooking the knot over a stick that Korg was to carry, as he truly was the muscles of the group, currently. 

"Is that everything?" 

"I think it is." 

Once Bruce finished tying up the other blanket, he pulled down the stick Korg had over his shoulders, hooking the knot over it. With about an equal amount of weight on either side and a strong branch to put it all on, Korg held it steady with two hands, behind his head, where it rested on his stone shoulders. 

The rest of the things, Bruce was to carry- as Thor would be carrying Loki. Miek was not carrying anything. He was far too... pointy. Not to mention, he wasn't the strongest. 

The storm was approaching far quicker than they'd anticipated- dark clouds could be seen in the distance, growing closer and closer with every passing second. They didn't have much time, and they were coming from the same direction they were headed. 

When Thor lifted the wounded trickster into his arms, Loki was surprised by just how gentle the man was being, carrying him like some damsel in distress, as if he was fragile and needed to be taken care of. 

When Loki put a moment's thought into it, however, he scowled at the reality of his situation. He was like some damsel in distress, fragile, and needing to be taken care of. 

With the wooden door closed behind them, Korg lead the way, Miek on his shoulder as an added weight, though the Kronan didn't seem to notice. Bruce was next in line, carrying a box of tools and supplies and such, followed by Thor, who had the trickster in his arms. 

As Thor was in the back of the line, and they were both out of sight, Loki felt comfortable enough to drop his facade, turning blue in Thor's arms as he tried to put all his power into healing himself faster. 

The small amount of foliage quickly turned to thick jungle, then cleared out once again as they entered a canyon, one made of dark blue stone with a small creak flowing along the bottom of it. They'd been walking for probably about ten minutes. The land was very diverse- none of them were sure if that was a good sign or a bad. 

"Are we almost there yet?" Bruce groaned, "My arms are tired." 

"Don't worry, man, it's just up here." Korg assured, stumbling a bit after almost tripping on a root. 

"This is ridiculous," Loki uttered, "Heimdall stranded us... what if he doesn't come back? What if he-" he cut himself off with another coughing fit, blood spilling on to the soft blue of his skin, shoulders wracking weakly with every cough. There was a bit less blood this time- Loki decided to take that as a good sign. 

The storm was quickly approaching. The wind had picked up, and the sky had grown dark from the black clouds covering the sun and preventing the light from spilling through. The temperature dropped significantly, and Thor found himself suddenly rather cold. Loki was rather comfy. 

It was just when the cave was in view that it had begun to spit. They picked up their pace then, at first a speed walk, until the sky opened up and they full on sprinted to it, racing inside the fairly small cave for shelter. It was perfect- the water would run downhill, towards the stream, and away from them, and they would be safe from getting wet or dealing with the wind in their little cave. It was small, and cozy, and couldn't have been more than ten meters deep, somehow uninhabited by animals. 

Once they were all safe inside, there were fairly loud sighs of relief, and Thor sat Loki down every so gently, leaning against the wall, while the others began to get settled. 

Maybe a day wouldn't be so hard after all. 

It certainly seemed like it would be a lot easier as they'd begun to craft their makeshift beds, laying out their supplies and starting to prepare for the night. They were to sleep in shifts, Loki being exempt from said shiftwork, as he needed his rest. He was absolutely drained, and the patch was in one of it's final phases- first black, then grey, then white. Then it'd take on whatever skin colour the host had, and it would mend to the body. Currently, it was turning blue around the edges. 

"Thor," Loki uttered, swallowing hard, Adam's apple bobbing prominently as he did so. The man in question scooted closer to talk, humming in confusion as to why he was called over. 

Loki's shaking blue hand found its way to Thor's, taking it firmly, squeezing it tight. "Please," the trickster's words were fairly hoarse, his throat scratchy from the coughing, "Will you stay by my side, tonight? A-and... and protect me?" He hated asking so, but he felt he needed to. Plus, it couldn't hurt to stroke Thor's ego at such a dire time. "And... stay with me, until I am sleeping, at least.... and hold me." 

Loki, who was laid on his back on the cold stone floor of the cave, looked rather helpless and afraid, weak and vulnerable. Thor was unable to stop himself from leaning down and pressing a kiss to his forehead, squeezing Loki's hand tight as he sat down beside him, getting comfy in his spot. "Of course, Loki." 

"And... And Thor, I... I don't think the coughing and the blood is from my wound." 

Thor was a bit surprised to say the least by those words, eye going a bit wide. "W... what else could it be?" 

"The patch, it doesn't... it doesn't fix the fact that because I'm healing, I'm... susceptible." 

"To what?" 

"To illness, Thor. To disease, I... we didn't think about any of that, when we were looking around for a planet... we aren't immune to the bacteria here. I'm especially susceptible, because my immune system is kind of... down." Loki, despite his weakened state, sounded annoyed at how asinine Thor could be.

"But, Loki, you've just been coughing a bit, that doesn't-"

Loki dropped his hand then, to yank up his sleeve, revealing a red rash that covered part of his forearm. "I'm ill, Thor... and I don't know what exactly this sickness will do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this so long ago i was just too lazy to actuLly post it here lmao. Pls forgive how actually terrible this fic is, it’s kinda a shit fic in my mind so I can’t be bothered to actually put to much effort into it


	28. Chapter Twenty Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ive been so fuckin busy man, this whole thing is uploaded to wattpad & up to date, I’ve just been too busy to post it on here. Im entering tech week for the musical im in so I’ll probably post more after it’s over.

Morning came early, though because they were in a cave, in a gorge, there was not much light to show that the sun had risen until about noon. Along with the rumbling of hungry stomachs, the sun filled the cave in glorious, warm beams of light. 

That was how Loki was awoken, the light painful and piercing, even if it did bring a pleasant warmth. 

There was a problem, however, Loki realized as his eyes finally began to focus, and he forced himself up on to his elbows. 

He was alone. He was alone, in pain, sick, and tired. 

There was no sign any of them had left in a hurry, beds neatly folded away and supplies in neat piles, the remains of a long-burnt out fire by the entrance. There were no voices to be heard, no sounds whatsoever except for the sweet songs of the native birds and the rustling of the leaves in the gentle wind. 

The trickster's eyelids were heavy from sleep, and he yawned gently, tugging his facade back up in case someone should see him. The tickle of an oncoming cough had been inhabiting his throat for hours, but he ignored it for now, focusing on bringing strength to his sore muscles, forcing himself up on to his hands and knees. He managed to stand rather shakily, placing a hand against the cool stone of the wall, stumbling to his feet and towards the entrance to the cave. His entire body felt as if it had been tied down with sand bags, everything suddenly so heavy and shaky and impossible. 

When he finally managed to get to the entrance of the cave, though his throat was scratchy and it was painful to make any noise whatsoever, he called out, "Thor? Bruce? Korg? Mi-" he cut himself off with another coughing fit, stars dancing in front of his eyes as his body was wracked with each cough. 

His mouth tasted of nothing but iron, and god, was he dizzy, falling to his knees right there and then. He sucked in a few shaky, shallow breaths before he managed to raise his head again, the world swimming before him. 

God, this thing was kicking his ass. 

He pulled himself to his feet again, placing a hand on the wall as he took another few steps forward, before he was forced to drop his hand and walk on his own as he left the cave. 

It seemed as if even the birds had ceased their singing, and the wind had died down- it was truly silent, his own breathing far too loud for his liking. His shuffling steps almost seemed to echo, the terrifying silence leaving his ears practically ringing. 

"Thor? Thor, where have you..." 

Loki made his way to a tree, a thin one with turquoise leaves and strange, twisting branches, one of which he grabbed and gripped tight, using it to steady his balance and stay upright. He was weak, insanely weak, the god rendered feeble and almost delicate. Even from the small, shuffling walk from where he'd been laid in the cave to where he stood, he was dizzy and out of breath. 

With his free hand, he felt the patch on his stomach- it had mostly fused with him by then, the only sign it had ever been there being a small circle of white that was practically invisible on his pale skin. He was healed, for the most part, but his immune system was weak, and the illness or infection or whatever he had was kicking his ass. While the wounds on his stomach had been sealed and he was generally back to normal, his body was still recovering from the event, and because it'd been fighting so hard to keep him alive, he was absolutely exhausted. He wasn't exactly surprised that he'd caught something. 

"Thor?" 

He took a moment to tie up his messy hair, pulling it into a bun the best he could, glancing around his surroundings. 

He looked up at the tree, sucking in a shaky breath before he started away from the tree, the tall grass brushing against his legs as he moved. 

He was slow, but after he'd come this far, he was not giving up. He would find the others. He had to. 

"Thor! Bruce! Ko-" he was once again interrupted by a coughing fit, this time clouding his vision enough for him to fall forward, barely catching himself as he spat up more and more crimson, just about blacking out as he did so. 

It took a moment for his vision to steady out again, his throat and chest feeling right and raw with pain, his breathing shaky and shallow. 

Once he finally managed to lift his head again, he wished he hadn't. 

There was Miek, nestled in the grass.

Or at least, what was left of him. 

Loki forced himself up on to his knees, then his feet, stumbling a bit. 

Miek looked like he'd been bitten in half, his bottom half missing completely while his top half had bled profusely. He was still, and had turned white. 

His remaining scissor arm, however, was stretched out, as if was pointing somewhere. 

Loki was more shocked than anything, stumbling past him, towards where he was pointing-

And there was Korg. He was in no better shape, in several different pieces, chunks of rock here and there- he definitely would not be able to recover from that.

His arm was intact, however-

And it was pointing in the same direction as Miek's had, towards the far end of the canyon, where a dark grove of trees grew thick. 

His heart dropped as he shuffled forward, eyes caught by another familiar face, one with dark hair and a broken body. 

Bruce had turned into hulk at one point, but now, he was human again, his clothes in tatters and his body not much better. He was on his stomach, starfished in the grass, body littered with deep dark bruises and what looked like teeth marks, where sharp fangs had punctured the skin and left bruising from pressure of the jaw. 

Loki hadn't been all that familiar with Bruce, though he knew the man had always been gentle and kind, and respected him, even if it was out of fear. Hulk, well, he wasn't exactly Loki's favourite monster, but he was powerful and Loki did respect him. 

It was a shame, really. Bruce Banner didn't deserve such an end. Loki wasn't sure if the man had ever truly found happiness. 

He moved on, however, because of his sick curiosity and rising dread.

And he wished he hadn't. 

Because there was Thor, laying in the grass. 

Suddenly filled with breath and energy, Loki ran over far faster than he thought he even could, a hand clamping over his mouth as he laid his eyes on him, heart in his throat. 

He was still and pale, his lips blue and his cheeks hollow. 

He laid in a bed of grass, eye shut and his lips barely parted, an arm on his stomach while the other was out to the side, as if he was pointing at something, as the other bodies had been.

He was dead. Loki was sure of it. Just like everyone else.

And from the deep dark bruises on his throat and torso, it was easy to tell what had killed him- he'd been strangled to death, squeezed until the life had left him, blood having trickled down from his nose, dark circles under his eyes.

It was a truly horrifying sight, one which Loki would have gasped at. 

Except he could not gasp. He could not even draw a single, shaking breath, the wind knocked out of him from the complete and utter shock. 

"Thor...?" He murmured in confusion, in fear. 

Loki was left with a stunned, cold, terrified and shocked expression. 

So many emotions ran threw him, pumped threw his veins. So many feelings rushed threw his body that his mind went completely and utterly blank.

He was angry, He was sad- absolutely devastated really. He felt empty, guilty. Anguish pumped threw him, tears rising to his eyes, spilling down onto his cheeks.

He felt so many emotions, yet none of them took the lead, and shock overwhelmed his systems.

"Thor..." 

He reached out to him then, to touch his face, his once-handsome face which was stripped of life by whatever had dared to-

And his hand went right through him, met instead with dry grass, the body of his love disappearing completely into thin air. 

Confused mostly, he stumbled to his feet again, looking back at the other bodies, and- before his eyes, they all faded away, dissolving into thin air. 

Hallucinations? Visions? An illusion? A mirage? 

"Heimdall," Loki found himself uttering, stumbling as he struggled to process what had just happened, "HEIMDALL!" 

"Your highness?" 

"Where are they? Where's Thor? Banner, Korg, Miek?" He sounded desperate, absolutely terrified, though currently, he couldn't care less, his weak heart pounding as hard as it could against his ribs, practically begging Heimdall, almost screaming towards the sky, “Tell me, tell me now, it's an emergency-!" 

"About half a kilometre north of where you stand. I believe there's a grove of trees there, everyone is underground... it's pitch black, I can't tell you anymore than that." 

All of the phantom bodies had been pointing towards that grove of trees. 

"Thank you," Loki practically sobbed, already starting on his way, marching through the long grass as if he wasn't in severe pain and extremely dizzy. "Thank you..." 

"We've... acquired a ship, and are on our way back to the planet. We'd been planning to purchase it but, um... Valkyrie, she... she stole it, instead. We had no other choice." 

"G-good, how Lo-" he was cut off by yet another coughing fit, sinking to his knees as he spat out more and more crimson, yellow dots dancing in front of his eyes. "H-how long until it arrives, would you say...?" 

"Three hours is my estimate." 

"Three hours is enough..." he told himself, enough to somehow rescue his team and get out alive. 

His tears had long dried, and Loki was on the move now, finally able to walk at a rather quick and steady pace, making his way through the long, long grass until the grass turned to trees, and it was dark. 

The forest was thick, thick enough that barely any light came through the canopy of foliage, very little underbrush anywhere. Loki slowed his pace then, taking his time to look about, staying silent as he searched. 

They were okay. They had to be. 

They had to be.

The forest was just as deathly quiet as the field had been, the only sound being the crunching of leaves under his shoes. Loki was careful with every step, avoiding leaves at every chance he got, steadily making his way through the forest. 

He came to a stop, however, when he laid his eyes upon what he'd been searching for. 

It was a sort of cave, really- a deep hole in the ground that was absolutely pitch black. 

Just outside of it, however, was a sight that made his skin crawl. 

Much larger than the size of Loki himself was the shed of a snake, having molted off of a beast at least as big around as the trunk of the tree it was laid beside. The skin must've been at least seven meters long- and it wasn't even the skin of the whole snake. 

This monster was massive, that he knew. 

When he finally heard something, it was a bone-chilling sound, one that stroke fear into Loki's rapidly bearing heart, eyes watering. 

It'd been a cry, a cry of pain from a familiar voice. 

And suddenly, Loki was running.


	29. Chapter Twenty Nine

Loki was so very glad he knew so much seidr. 

Now that he'd been awake for a while and his head was generally clear, he cast a simple sort of night vision spell, granting himself good enough vision to see exactly where he was going in the pitch-black cave. 

It was a tight cave, the tunnels barely big enough for Loki to stand in, having to duck to go past several roots that hung down from the ceiling. 

Another blood-curdling scream. This time, he was able to tell who exactly it was- Banner. 

So he was still alive after all. 

He started to pick up the pace then, jogging lightly despite the fact his burning lungs begged him to not, jumping over roots and rocks, ducking under overhead roots and such. 

Deeper and deeper he went, the temperature dropping significantly once the dirt turned to a darker, more clay-like material. 

There was a fork in the road, one path slightly inclined, leading up somewhere, while the left went deeper into the earth. 

And he heard another scream, this time not that of Banner's. It was Thor's.

He chose the left, and began to sprint.

Loki's heart was pounding against his ribs as if his chest was about to burst, blood rushing in his ears as he ran just as fast as he could down tunnel after tunnel after tunnel, going against every self-preserving instinct he had as he raced down deeper and deeper into the dark, cold ground. His lungs burnt from his heavy breathing and his entire body felt weak and useless, legs numb as he used every ounce of strength he had to race to the rescue. 

His mind was racing almost as much as his heart, thoughts flying as he wondered just what had happened to his brother and the others, if anyone had been seriously injured. If anyone was dead. 

Had they given up hope? Or were they fighting for their lives, against the beast who lived in such a dark, horrible place? 

His heart felt cold and empty, pure dread filling him as he slowed to a stop. 

There was light. It was faint, but it was there, flickering down deep, around a bend. It was a fire, or a candle, or something that was giving off a gentle, somewhat unsteady light. 

And then there was yet another scream.  It was Thor's once again, and it sounded as close as ever, less of a pained scream and more of an enraged shout. 

Loki was running again, sprinting towards the light and towards his love, heavy footfalls echoing, breathing a heavy pant. 

He turned the corner, gasping loudly and gaining even more speed, before his foot was caught, there was an audible crack, and he was slammed into the ground, a shooting pain sent up his leg from his ankle and his vision blurring even worse from having hit his head. 

"Loki!" Thor practically gasped, pure relief flooding his systems, "Brother, you-" 

Loki gave a very audible groan, forcing himself up on to his hands and knees, touching his head as he glanced back at his leg. His foot had been snagged on a root, and he'd been running fast enough that doing so had broken his ankle, his foot now twisted at a very wrong angle. "Ugh..." 

He unhooked his foot as gently as he could, gritting his teeth from the pain, his vision swaying before him as he struggled back on to one foot at least, somewhat hopping towards where the voices had come from, vision swaying dangerously as the beings in front of him doubled, and then tripled, and strong arms caught him around the chest as he fell forward. 

The familiar warmth of the body he knew so well was beyond comforting, and his rather weak arms held on to him desperately, clinging as if his life depended on it. "Thor," he practically whimpered, "Where did you all go, why did you- you left me, and I- I thought you were all dead. I thought you were dead, do you understand how terrifying that is?" 

Thor almost laughed at that, squeezing him tight and pressing a relived kiss to his forehead, "Of course I understand, Loki... you've faked your death twice now." 

"We can talk and celebrate once we're out of here," then came Bruce's voice, Loki's vision far too blurry and wavy for him to see where it came from. "Ask questions later, alright? There's this giant snake thing that brought us here, and... we managed to fight it off, but now it's angry and when it comes back, we're all dead."

When Loki's vision finally steadied, he was relieved to see every member of his team around him, alive, albeit a bit injured. Bruce, who was approaching on his right, had Thor's shirt and his own wrapped around his forearm, which was bleeding profusely. Thor, whom he continued to cling to, had dark bruises already forming around his chest, and scrapes on top of them, looking rather beat up and exhausted. Korg looked relatively fine, while Miek was bleeding a little bit from a few puncture wounds, though he seemed okay. 

Loki, well- he was just about to pass out from having actually done some physical activity while in such a state, his chest feeling tight and horrible and his head pounding, his stomach churning uncomfortably. He felt so very nauseous and dizzy, and the fact he'd just broken his ankle did not help. 

"We have to get out, then," Loki uttered, doing his best to stand straight on one foot, the other kept off the ground, the trickster not daring to put even a slight pressure on it. "I... I can't walk." He shifted his hands from Thor's  forearms to his shoulders, using him as a balance, making sure to give him a bit of breathing room, as he was sure his chest must hurt. 

"I'll carry you," Korg volunteered, "I may be made of rocks but I've been told  my touch is comparable to that of a gentle lover." 

There was a bit of an awkward pause before Thor decided, "You're one of our biggest assets, Korg, we need your arms free in case you need to fight. I'll carry him." 

"Let's make a plan," Bruce decided, "How about you and Loki lead the way, Miek and I will be in the middle, and Korg will protect us from the back. That way Loki can take us out the way he came in." He offered, shrugging his shoulders. He looked a little bit pale, and was shivering a bit. Loki decided it was probably from shock and/or blood loss. 

"We have probably about two and a half hours until a rescue team will come down to pick us up. Let's focus on getting up to the surface before then." Loki did his best to sound strong and sure, even while Thor pulled him into a bridal carry, holding him tight against his chest. "We have to move fast. When was the last time you saw that snake, and where did he go?" 

"A few minutes ago, he went out that way," Korg pointed towards the other end of the small, plain dirt chamber, where there was another tunnel, leading elsewhere. 

It was then that Loki noticed where the light had come from- a small fire, hovering about a foot off the ground, little flicks of green mixed in with the orange and yellow of the flames. It was a magic fire- one that was made from seidr to light the small chamber. Loki hadn't put it there... 

"You used... seidr?" 

"It's not that hard, Brother," Thor assured, almost chuckling at him and how surprised the man seemed, "It's just a few words and a flick of the wrist... I can't do it silently, like you can, but I can do it," 

"Obviously not very well." Loki uttered, grinning after letting slip the scathing critique, surprised he didn't drop him at that. "Anyway, we'd best be off. Now. I'd like to avoid meeting that giant snake friend of yours." With a snap of his fingers, every member of their little team had the same night-vision spell on them as Loki.

"He's not my friend. You're my only snake friend, I promise you that, brother." Thor uttered, starting his way up the steep incline of the tunnel, banner and Miek following close behind while Korg brought up the back. 

"That's just mean," Loki practically whimpered, though he found himself smirking ever so softly, tilting his head to press a kiss to Thor's bicep. 

It soon became apparent, however, that the entire group was absolutely burnt out. Exhausted beyond belief, even Thor was having trouble trudging uphill, and he was a god. One without a broken ankle. 

Loki paused then, focusing all his energy and a good majority of his seidr on the team, on their sore muscles, and- with a bit of a surprised grunt, Thor was fairly strong again, as was Bruce and Miek and Korg. And they picked up the pace once again. 

"It's sort of like a healing spell," Loki began to explain, "Except it more rewinds the time on your weakened areas, bringing you back to the state you were in when you were last healthiest. It's not all that complicated, just- snake. Snake, snake, SNAKE!" Loki had started to practically crawl up Thor's body in an attempt to get away from it, breath caught in his throat. 

The head of the snake was probably about the side of Loki himself, it's tongue long and flicking as it slithered down the tunnel, coming to a halt as it spotted them, the group coming to a stop as well. 

Who would move first? 

The snake. It pulled back every so slightly, inching back and back and back, before it sprung forward with it's mouth open and it's teeth out.

They parted quite evenly and quick enough to avoid any of them getting caught, clinging to the sides of the tunnel as tight as possible before they all began to sprint up along the side of the snake, with an exception of Bruce. Bruce, the lovable genius who thought up a plan in seconds flat, pulling out a shard of glass he'd turned into a blade, hopping on to the head of the snake in an attempt to hold it down as he stabbed it in the eye, again and again and again until he moved to the other, the snake making a rather loud and angered hiss as it shook its head and tried to smack him against every wall of the tunnel, the small scientist clinging to the head of the snake for dear life as he was bucked. 

"BRUCE!" Thor bellowed, handing Loki off to Korg as he found himself sprinting towards him, heart pounding in his throat as he leaped towards him, grabbing him around the torso as they tumbled forward, off the head of the beast, the two of them landing a few feet in front of it in the dirt. 

It continued to shake its head, emitting noises of pain and anger as it did so, eventually stilling. 

No one dared to move. 

They were at a fork in the road, the snake halfway into one of the tunnels. 

Loki sucked in a shaky breath, reaching up on to Korg's shoulder, using all He strength he had to break off a small chunk of rock, glancing between Thor and Bruce and the snake before he tossed the rock as far as he could down the empty hall, the emerald serpent immediately turning and charging down that way. 

And the team began to sprint, up the sides of the tunnel as the snake got thinner and thinner as it went past, until eventually the tail passed them and they all shifted to the middle of the passageway, going just as fast as they could up the incline. 

"Everyone alright?!" Loki hissed over Korg's shoulder, the team doing their very best to nod, Miek having attached himself to Korg's leg, Thor ending up carrying banner because the man wasn't fast enough. 

"Banner's a bit shaken up, but we're generally unharmed," Thor stage-whispered, panting heavily, "God, You're brilliant, Banner, Brilliant! That was amazing, you're amazing, we were all like "aaah! What do we do!" And then you just jumped on it and-" 

"You were amazing! You just jumped and grabbed me and-" 

Loki cleared his throat, glaring back at the two of them. 

"Mister Loki is the real hero here, bro," Korg chimed in, and Loki's glare softened, the trickster smiling softly at the men behind them, "If he hadn't thrown part of me down that tunnel, we would all be dead. And that would be bad."

Miek snipped his scissor hand in agreement, and Thor almost laughed, shaking his head. "You're right... we all did amazing. Now we've... we've just got to make sure it doesn't find us again. Let's slow down, and try to move quietly." 

Thor slowed down then, as did Korg, and they returned to a gentler pace, Thor placing Bruce back on to his feet so he could walk along with him. "We must be quiet," Loki whispered, reaching for Thor with grabby hands, showing he wanted to be held by him much like a small child would. 

Thor jogged forward to make his way in front of Korg, taking Loki into his arms so Korg was able to make his way to the back, where he'd been stationed before.

Loki happily laid in his arms, a very obvious smile on his lips as he tilted his head to rest it on Thor's torso, quite enjoying not having to have to walk or run uphill whatsoever. 

God, he'd missed this. He missed being able to hold Thor close to him and kiss him and squeeze him tight. It felt like it'd been years since they'd been alone together, able to hold each other, love each other.

Thor held him close, gentle, lifting him up a bit more to press a kiss to his forehead before allowing him to lay back down comfortably again. 

Loki tensed up then, and his eyes went wide, the man pressing his lips together tightly. 

"What's wrong, Brother?" Thor uttered, words barely above a whisper. 

"Can't cough," he hissed through clenched teeth, "Too n-noisy." 

His self control broke however, and then he found himself stiffening and coughing, a hand over his mouth with an old rag in it to catch the blood he coughed up, vision swaying dangerously before him. He was dizzy, far too dizzy, and very very grateful that he was being carried, leaning against Thor's chest as he gave a shaky, shaky breath. "Ugh...."

Dread began to pool in his chest, though, and no one else dared to make a sound. 

The next sound they heard was involuntary. 

The next sound they heard was Banner's cry of pain and surprise, the group turning to see Korg wrapped tightly in the coils of the snake's strong body and Bruce in the Snake's mouth, the beast having snuck up behind them and attacked without a sound, with an exception of Banner. 

"Stay calm," Thor warned, wary of the fact that the serpent was holding him in his jaw rather gently; the man was simply resting on the bottom jaw, the snake's razor sharp teeth just waiting to pierce him. "Stay calm, we need to-" 

There was a blood-curdling cry of pain, and the snake bit down, it's three inch long fangs penetrating his little, human body.


End file.
